


Oracle

by scribblemoose



Series: Ronin [4]
Category: Weiß Kreuz
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-06-18
Updated: 2013-04-01
Packaged: 2017-10-08 21:27:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 29,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/79666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribblemoose/pseuds/scribblemoose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Another mountain<br/>Set on fire . . .<br/>The haze thickens</p><p>Issa</p>
          </blockquote>





	1. Sweet Thunder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another mountain  
> Set on fire . . .  
> The haze thickens
> 
> Issa

Yohji felt Ran's lips flutter softly over the length of his cock, and knew he was the luckiest man alive.

Even the faint tickle of Ronin's fur along the arch of one sensitive foot couldn't distract him from this rare and intense pleasure. He whimpered softly as Ran flicked his wet tongue out to lick over the tortuously delicate skin around his balls, before slowly sucking first one and then the other into his mouth. Yohji was fairly certain that he didn't deserve to feel this good, but he sure as fuck wasn't going to let that stop him.

Then there was a low vibration that thrummed through his balls and straight up his cock, and his mind was blown completely.

It felt suspiciously as though Ran was humming.

Yohji wasn't sure what turned him on more: the astounding sensation of the shock waves Ran was sending through his flesh, or the idea that Ran was actually humming. He reached down to tangle grateful fingers in Ran's hair, just in case his lover was in any doubt whatsoever that this was the best thing that had happened to Yohji in a long, long time.

Well, since last Thursday and the whipped cream, anyway.

This was the best stage in any relationship, Yohji knew. When the tentative explorations of each other's bodies had progressed to the stage of experimentation, when every moment they had to themselves was dedicated to trying out new and wonderful ways of pleasuring each other. What he liked especially about his relationship with Ran was that while it had taken them much longer than usual to get to this stage, it had been going strong for more than a month now and showed no signs whatever of abating. Any preconceptions he might have had about Ran as a shy or conservative lover were blown out of the water on the day he came home with a jar of maple syrup and the kind of video Yohji was very worried Omi might find, and he'd continued to be a source of surprise and wonder ever since. What made it even more remarkable, was that Ran had had only a couple of encounters before Yohji, and apart from what Yohji secretly suspected had been a more meaningful relationship when he was in Crashers, Ran had been celibate for a long, long time. He couldn't possibly have done much of this before. It was as if he'd spent the all the time since Crashers fantasising about every single way he would like to have sex if he wasn't a florist assassin on a revenge kick, and now he had the opportunity, he was systematically trying each one of them out for size.

But none of this was going through Yohji's mind as he arched his back under the delicious torture of Ran's tongue and lips. In fact, nothing very much was going through his mind at all.

"You like that?" Ran murmured, the words vibrating his lips against the hypersensitive skin of Yohji's cockhead.

"Hghn," replied Yohji, surprised that he could meet even that level of eloquence.

"Pass the bag, then," said Ran.

Yohji might have seriously worried about a lack of blood to his brain at that point, if he'd been capable of rational thought.

He groped blindly for the bulging velvet bag that lived in the cupboard next to the bed and contained their rapidly-growing collection of sex toys. He handed it to Ran, his heart racing. It was a magic bag, Yohji was sure of it. New things found their way into it while he wasn't looking, only for Ran to pull them out and surprise him with some new device, just when he thought there couldn't possibly be any new. . .

"This'll do nicely," Ran grinned devilishly, palming something that Yohji didn't quite catch sight of. "Lube, please."

Yohji moaned gently, and retrieved the large tube from it's customary hiding place under the pillow.

"Shut your eyes."

Yohji obeyed with only the faintest glimmer of hesitation.

Well, he was an assassin. It was only natural that he'd feel a little vulnerable, even with the person he trusted more than anyone in the world.

He felt Ran settle between his legs, pushing them further apart with firm hands, and then trailing teasing fingertips over the sensitive skin of his inner thighs. He heard the click of the lube being flipped open, the splurge of gel being squeezed from the tube. His body tightened in anticipation, bracing itself against the expected shock of cold lube against some part of his body, and sure enough, after a pause just long enough to be disconcerting, Yohji felt Aya's wet fingers sliding down the ridge of flesh from his balls to his anus, spreading lube generously around the sensitive skin, pushing inside just once. Then something else was pressing at his entrance, something hard and cold, not too big, but big enough, slipping inside easily at first, then stretching him wider, filling him; Ran was twisting it a little as he worked it inside, one hand flat on Yohji's belly underneath his straining cock. Then it was all the way inside, and Ran was leaning over and kissing him on the lips.

"Okay?" he checked. "Feel good?"

Yohji's eyes flickered open to take in the breathtaking vision of Ran's face looking down at him, a soft, teasing smile on his lips.

He nodded.

The smile on Ran's face grew as he worked his way back down Yohji's body, leaving a trail of kisses down his chest. He brushed his nose down the length of Yohji's twitching cock and moved back to what Yohji decided must be a butt plug that was filling him, caressing his insides every time he moved, torturing him as Ran turned and twisted it slowly, and then, when he was gasping with pleasure, and about to beg Ran to let him come, he realised something else was happening. As Ran leaned over to take his cock once more between his lips, he heard the click of a switch, and suddenly his ass was being tickled by a vibration so intense, so deep, so fucking good that he couldn't help himself. His cock exploded just as Ran touched the tip with his tongue, and Yohji watched as he came helplessly over Ran's face, drenching his cheek and his mouth, oh, God, his mouth, still spurting when Ran had recovered from the surprise and started to lick him like an ice cream, lapping up the come that Yohji thought might never stop streaming from his cock. Just when he thought he'd finally done, Ran pulled the quivering plastic from his butt, and Yohji screamed as he started to come all over again, his balls clenched tight, discharging the last few thin dribbles of semen onto Ran's waiting tongue.

He might possibly have passed out at that point; he couldn't be sure. The next thing he remembered, Ran was stroking back his hair and smiling a wicked, wicked smile at him. Yohji whimpered and pulled him closer, licked the sticky mess from his face. He felt the heat of Ran's stiff cock pressing against his hip, and in a fit of intense gratitude he somehow summoned the energy to flip his lover onto his back, scurrying down to take his slender, perfect erection into his mouth, swallowing it straight in one go, moaning his appreciation as he sucked and licked for all he was worth. That Ran was so hard, so ready, so aroused that it only took a few pumps into Yohji's mouth to make him come, was just the icing on the cake as far as Yohji was concerned. Not that he wouldn't have liked to have taken his time and loved Ran's cock with his mouth until his jaw ached, but the idea that his lover enjoyed giving him pleasure almost as much as he enjoyed receiving it was just. . .

Yohji collapsed back on the bed, wondering if his brain really had turned to mush this time, and whether he cared if it had.

"God, Yohji. . ."

Yohji heard an odd squeaking sound, and realised it had come from him.

"Me, God, too, fuck, yeah, um," he said, quite proud that he could remember that many words.

"Move over, you're on my side of the bed." Ran gave Yohji a shove and he complied lazily, wondering when Ran's sleeping in his bed had become such a permanent habit that they'd claimed territory. Ran nestled pleasantly against his chest, and Yohji snaked an arm around him and kissed the top of his head. He feebly snagged the covers half way over them before all the strength went out of him, and he suddenly needed to go to sleep more than he needed anything else in the world. Ran tutted and finished the job, taking the opportunity to drop a tiny kiss on Yohji's left nipple that tickled and would have made him jump if he'd had the energy. As he drifted off he felt the soft pad of determined paws as Ronin made his way across his body to find his neck, turning round a few times to make a nest out of Yohij's hair before he slumped down and started to purr deafeningly next to Yohji's ear.

Yohji waited for the knock on the door, the interruption, the ring of the telephone, the sound of Manx's car purring to a halt outside.

For once, it didn't come.

* * * * * * *

When Yohji woke several hours later to find Ran still curled up asleep next to him, he started to worry that fate was softening him for some particularly cruel blow. Ronin was still curled up by his shoulder, which probably meant Aya-chan and Omi hadn't come home from school yet. It wasn't dark, probably late afternoon judging by the golden light flowing through the window.

There were some advantages to taking the morning shift in the shop, however much Yohji hated getting up before noon. And spending the afternoon in bed with Ran was definitely one of them.

He stretched as much as he dared, not wanting to wake Ran just yet, curling his toes and yawning 'til his jaw popped. He cuddled Ran closer, planting a kiss on his forehead, breathing the scent of his hair, relishing the tingle that raced across his skin just from the pleasure of holding his lover in his arms.

He realised his arm had gone to sleep, but he didn't care much. He wasn't about to let go of Ran until he absolutely had to. Moments like this were too rare and precious to. . .

"Ran, Kudoh, I'm home!"

. . . last.

A slam of the door, excited footsteps on the stairs, and the moment was gone. Not that he minded all that much; Aya-chan was just another part of whatever-it-was he felt for Ran, and it all made a disturbingly happy bundle.

"In here, sweetheart," he called, Ran stirring beside him, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with his fists, and looking more adorable than Yohji would ever dare tell him.

Aya-chan bounded into the room, flinging herself on the bed and grasping a surprised Ronin to her chest, showering kisses on his little furry head. He made one of the little burrup noises he was becoming famous for, and settled to some loud purring while she vigorously tickled him behind the ears.

Yohji did a quick mental checklist of Things Aya-chan Shouldn't See, and was relieved to discover, with a quick grope of one foot, that lube, butt plug and the magic bag were all still in the bed, and miraculously under the covers.

"How was school, sweetheart?" Yohji pulled himself carefully to sitting, and reached for his cigarettes. Ran blinked at him, still half asleep.

"Okay. Me and Omi got an A for our computer project. We came top," she beamed.

"I should hope so, all the extra work you put in on it," said Yohji, pointedly, lighting his cigarette and taking a long, heavenly drag.

"Well done, Aya," came Ran's deep voice. "Father would be proud of you."

The breath caught in Yohji's throat. Ran always said that, when it mattered. After all he'd been through he could have been forgiven for wanting to forget his parents, the life before Weiss that had been so cruelly snatched from him and his sister. But he never did, and whenever Aya had done something really well, which was often, or when she was sad and lonely, which was surprisingly and thankfully rare, Ran gently gave her the memory of her parents as reward and comfort.

Aya smiled at him, not her usual huge grin, but the little, quiet smile that was startlingly similar to Ran's. "Thank you," she said. "I couldn't have done it without Omi, but. . . thank you."

The thought hung between them for a moment, and Yohji was starting to feel a little excluded, but then Ran turned to him and frowned, and growled "smoking in bed, Kudoh?" and everything was alright again.

Yohji wondered what Ran's father would think if he could see Aya-chan now, sprawled on her back across the bed, her head resting on Yohji's knees, as Ronin batted her nose. He hoped he'd be able to appreciate how cute she looked, without dwelling on the fact that Ran was in bed naked with his boyfriend and a range of hidden but undeniably present sex toys, but he doubted that enough to want the thought out of his head as quickly as possible.

"So, what else did you do today, apart from dazzling the whole school with your brilliance?" he asked.

"The usual. English. Science, which was yukky and involved a frog and a scalpel."

Yohji shuddered. "I remember that," he said. "It was horrible."

Ran snorted.

"Don't tell me," said Yohji. "I suppose you charged at yours with a yell of 'shi-ne' and dissected it perfectly in ten seconds with the tip of your katana."

Ran suddenly looked a little uncomfortable, and Aya was laughing.

"What?" said Yohji. "Is this a family secret I'm missing out on here?"

"Are you going to tell him, Ran, or shall I?" said Aya between giggles.

Ran frowned.

"He fainted," she supplied.

"Only a bit," said Ran, gruffly.

Yohji stared at him in amazement and delight

"And when his science partner cut it open he threw up," squealed Aya, giggling helplessly.

"I didn't," said Ran. "I. . ."

"What, love?" Yohji choked on his own laughter. "All that blood too much for you?"

"I didn't throw up," Ran said firmly, but his resolve dissolved under Yohji's amused but penetrating gaze. "Well, not much. I was just a bit. . . woozy. It was something I'd eaten, I think."

"Ooh, you liar!" wheezed Aya breathlessly. "I found you sitting outside the nurse's office, remember?"

To Yohji's absolute delight, Ran was blushing. "Oh yeah," he said.

"And he had nightmares after that for weeks," Aya added.

"Did not," said Ran.

"Did too," she countered.

"Did not. Kudoh, shut up!"

Yohji was laughing helplessly at the thought of the great, cold, emotionless Fujimiya Aya, whom he'd seen split men in two with his blade, being so sensitive as to. . .

He sobered, hit by a sudden, powerful wave of sadness, and his laughter faded.

Ran must have changed so much. It must have been so hard for him, turning himself from that sensitive boy into Fujimiya Aya, a killer of such ruthless efficiency that he even scared those who would be his friends.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, looking into Ran's deep violet eyes, and meaning it in more ways than Ran probably realised.

Ran grunted, and folded his arms across his chest.

"What about you, Yohji?" asked Aya-chan impishly. "You must've done something embarrassing at school."

"More things than I care to mention," said Yohji.

"Well tell us, then."

"Nope," said Yohji. "I might lose your respect, and that would be a terrible thing."

Aya and Ran both snorted at that.

"Well, alright." Yohji capitulated, realising shrewdly that if he resisted much longer there would probably be pain involved in their methods of persuasion. "There was this one time. . ."

Then came the knock on the door.

Fate really was being kind to Kudoh Yohji today.

"Hey," came Ken's voice through the door. "Aya, Yohji. We need you downstairs."

Yohji's heart sank; he could already guess what Ken was about to say, and it would prove that maybe lady luck wasn't on his side any more after all.

"Manx is here," said Ken.

* * * * * * *

"It turns out our contact was in Ace, last month," Manx said, as she pulled briefing packs out of her briefcase and passed them around the four assassins in the mission room: Yohji, Ken and Omi crowded on the sofa, and Ran standing next to her, leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest. "Somebody had warned him off."

"You mean our cover was blown?" asked Yohji, pulling the ashtray closer and tapping a cigarette out of his pack. "How come? Was I not slutty enough to pass for a . . . slut?"

Manx ignored him.

"Schwartz," said Ran. "Shuldig was hanging around that night, remember?"

"Persia doesn't think so," said Manx. "Anyway, that's irrelevant. Birman and I tracked down the contact and have his schedule for the coming week. The mission is to capture him alive. We think it was a general tip-off that frightened him away, but there's a chance that he knows who Abyssinian and Balinese are, so we want you two out of the way. Take Aya-chan to the mountain cabin for the weekend. Bombay and Siberian will stay here and secure the target."

"That's secure as in 'not kill'," Yohji stage-whispered conspiratorially in Ken's ear. "You think you can manage that?"

"Fuck off, Kudoh," growled Ken.

"Just a word of advice," said Yohji. "Check for guns before rushing into the room."

"Yohji, that's enough," said Ran. "Manx, what if we're followed? I won't put Aya-chan in danger."

"She's always in danger," said Manx. "You know that. How's the sword work coming?"

"That's none of your business," snarled Ran. "And I still think it's the best way to keep her safe."

"Kritiker would be only too pleased to look after her for you while you're gone," said Manx, calmly. "Is that what you want, Abyssinian?"

The threat hung in the air, Manx and Ran glaring at each other.

"No," said Omi, in a choked voice. "I mean, you don't, do you Aya?"

"Of course not," said Ran through clenched teeth. If he noticed the panic in Omi's plea, he didn't show it. "I know how Kritiker look after people. She comes with us."

"As you like," said Manx, with a deceptively casual shrug of her shoulders.

"I won't have you turn her into a killer," said Ran in a dangerous voice. "Don't think I don't know what Kritiker wants. You won't have her."

"Aya. . ." Manx started, her eyes soft all of a sudden, almost pleading. "If . . ." She cut herself off with a sigh. "Just keep your eye on her." She darted a look at Yohji. "Both of you."

Yohji wondered what universe Manx thought they might be in if Ran needed to be told to keep an eye on Aya-chan, but he didn't say anything. It was going to be hard enough to persuade Aya-chan to leave Omi and her friends for a few days; he may as well save his breath for that.

"What about Schuldig?" asked Ran. "If Schwartz are involved this could be a trap. They might want you to split us up to make it easier to pick us off."

"Don't be melodramatic, Fujimiya. This isn't a target. It's just a nasty little spy."

"Schuldig's speciality," said Ken, under his breath.

"Besides," Manx continued, ignoring this little aside, "you're only a couple of hours away. Shit, I'd have thought you'd have welcomed a bit of time alone, just the three of you."

Something clicked in Yohji's brain. _Just the three of us. . ._

It sounded rather good.

Manx was gulping down the last of her diet coke, and getting ready to leave. "You have your orders," she said. "Don't fuck up, boys."

She received a collection of grunts in response, and Omi rose to see her out, remembering his manners as always.

"We'll have to tell Aya-chan she can't go to Keiko's birthday party," said Ran, softly. "She won't like it."

"That's okay," said Yohji, watching the sad expression on Omi's face as he held the door open for Manx. "Leave it to me."

"Really?" said Ran, gratefully.

"Yeah," said Yohji, with a smile. "I have a plan."

Maybe a little time together was just what the three of them needed, after all.

  
* * * * * * *

"Yohji, I can't go! It's Keiko's birthday! She's my best friend, and Ran said I could go, and I _never_ get to go to parties!"

Yohji sat on her bed, and picked up the black and white kitty-chan that rested on her pillow. "Think of it as an opportunity to tell him about Omi," he said, lightly.

Aya-chan glowered at him from her seat by her desk. "Kudoh. . . "

"You have to tell him, sweetheart. This is the perfect opportunity. Just you and him, and me to stop either of you breaking things."

"But. . ."

"It's gone on long enough, Aya. Don't you think he deserves to know?"

"Oh Yohji. He's going to be so mad."

"He might surprise you," said Yohji gently, ignoring his own doubts for a moment. "He loves you, you know."

"He loves you, too, but that doesn't mean you don't make him mad," she said.

Yohji found himself startled by that. "It's not the same," he said. "It's a different kind of love."

"Like I love Omi," she said. "Exactly."

Yohji felt lost. "No, not like that," he said. "This isn't about me and your brother. It's about you and Omi."

"But, Yohji, you could tell him, he'd take it from you. I just can't face it. He's going to be so angry."

"Well, that's a first," said Yohji, matter-of-factly.

Aya's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"A Fujimiya being a coward. Never though I'd see the day."

She stiffened, temper flaring instantly in her deep blue eyes. "I. Am. Not. A . Coward"

"Whatever," said Yohji, twirling the Kitty-Chan toy gently by its little furry arms. "If you say so."

"Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. Oh, Kudoh! You're impossible!" If she'd been standing she would probably have stamped her foot.

"So they say," said Yohji, with a sly grin. "So, what d'you say? Come to the mountains with me and your brother, butter him up with-" _Oh, butter, there's an idea!_ "-good wine and long walks and reading by the fire, and then we'll see if we can persuade him not to kill Omi for falling in love with you. Alright?"

"You just want to shag him in the hot springs," she pouted.

"Aya!" Yohji gasped, half out of shock, and half out of guilt, because the thought had certainly crossed his mind.

The pout turned into a grudging smile. "You can always get round me," she complained.

"I have a way with Fujimiyas," said Yohji modestly.

"I'm not promising I'll tell him," she said.

"Just try, sweetheart. That's all I ask."

"And I want to phone Keiko every day for an hour, morning and evening."

"Okay."

"And Omi."

"And Omi what?"

"I want to phone Omi for an hour a day too."

"That would be risky," said Yohji. "Ran would notice. He's horribly observant, you know."

She shrugged. "Those are my terms," she said. "Or you'll have to take me there by force."

"Alright," sighed Yohji. "But only on the secure channel, and make it after midnight. And not while he's on a mission. I mean, if he should happen to... Um." _Damn, Kudoh, stupid, stupid, stupid._

"What mission?" She was suddenly intent, her eyes alive with suspicion.

"You know I can't talk to you about that, sweetheart. Besides, there isn't one, probably. It's just protocol."

"Are you and Ran on a mission too? Is that why we're going to the mountains?"

"No. Absolutely not. And that's all I'm saying." Yohji got up, hoping to make it to the door before she asked any more awkward questions. "Now, be nice. I'm on your side, you know."

She regarded him seriously, as if checking whether she believed him or not. Eventually a warm smile broke out on her face, and she launched herself at him, and hugged him so hard he could barely breathe.

"I love you, Kudoh."

He wrapped his arms around her, and nuzzled her hair. "Love you too, sweetheart," he said, gruffly. "But don't tell anyone. You'll break hearts all over Tokyo."

She gave him a little squeeze.

"Ran's going to be really mad, isn't he?"

_What, about you falling in love with a Takatori, or me keeping it secret from him for a month? Hmm, close call_.

"He'll be okay," said Yohji. "You'll see."

"Yeah." She sounded almost convinced. "You're right."

He kissed the top of her head, and wished he could believe it himself.

* * * * * * *

Yohji hadn't been to the cabin for a long time. Truth be told, it still held bad memories for him, one way or another. He'd brought Asuka here, when she wasn't Asuka, when she looked like Asuka, but kissed and spoke and fucked like someone else. And tried to kill him.

He leaned on the balcony railing, smoking. Defying the memories to haunt him.

It was a beautiful afternoon. Summer was starting in earnest now; all the trees in leaf, the sun strong and golden. He could hear Ran and Aya-chan bickering gently downstairs, the steady back and forth of siblings that got easier for them both every day.

It didn't hurt anymore. Yohji felt his body physically relax at the realisation. He could think of Asuka, and Neu, and it didn't hurt any more. It was sad, it would always be sad, tragic even, but it didn't hurt.

There was another ghost here, though: the shadowy figure in the trees that had launched his origami lifesaver that night when Neu had tried to kill him. Botan.

He was a different kind of ghost altogether.

"Yohji?"

Yohji jumped, startled out of brooding by Ran's deep voice. "Hi," he said, making sure he had a smile on his face.

"We thought maybe a walk before dinner," Ran said, observing Yohji carefully, his head tilted slightly to one side.

"Sure." Yohji dropped his cigarette butt onto the floor of the balcony and scrubbed it out with his booted foot.

"You okay?"

"Oh, fine," said Yohji lightly. "Just thinking, is all."

"Don't," said Ran. "It usually ends badly when you think. Have you seen my sweater? The orange one?"

Yohji let the slur on his mental abilities slide, just this once. "In the bag on the bed, I think. Unless Aya-chan confiscated it again."

Ran went back into the room with a snort, and Yohji looked back out towards the trees.

"Oh. What are you doing here?"

"Ran?" Yohji turned, wondering who the hell Ran was talking to, only to find him murmuring softly into the opened bag of clothes on the bed. "Er . . . Ran . . ."

Ran pulled a bundle of black and white fur out of the bag. It mewed at him, and yawned.

"Thought you needed a vacation, eh, neko-chan?" Ran said softly.

Yohji laughed, and it was Ran's turn to jump.

"Don't sneak up on me like that," glowered Ran.

Yohji leaned in the doorframe, grinning. "Neko-chan?"

"Shut up." To Yohji's delight, Ran was decidedly flustered. "Stupid cat got in the luggage."

"I'm sure we'll cope," said Yohji.

"Hn."

Ronin shook his little furry body, and looked around at his new surroundings. Comfortable bed, surprisingly clean air, tempting birdsong drifting on the evening breeze.

He padded over the pile of clothes, stretching his legs out one by one as he went. Lots of exploring to do. He stopped when he got to a plump, tempting pillow and sat down, watching Ran and Yohji as they got ready to go out.

By the time they left the room, clattering down the stairs after Aya-chan, the little cat had fallen fast asleep.

* * * * * * *

Tsukiyono Omi emerged from the shadows, strolled casually to the lamp-post, and waited. He wore tight leather pants, a cropped, black t-shirt with the sleeves ripped off, and biker-style boots that added a full two inches to his height.

He was enjoying this.

His keen eyes noticed Ken, flattened against the wall in the alley three shop-fronts up, and he relaxed, standing invitingly in the spotlight of his lamppost, leaning his back against the cool metal.

He waited.

Sure enough, within ten minutes the man who'd caught his eye in the club was stalking towards him, licking his greasy lips. His eyes flickered from Omi's eyes to his groin, and back again, a nasty grin twisting his lecherous mouth.

"Haven't I seen you before?" Omi kept his voice steady, no smile on his face. If the rest of Weiß could have seen him, they would have found his eyes chillingly cold.

"You were checking out my ass in there," the man jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the door to the club. "Looked like you could do with a bit of. . ." his eyes flickered once again to Omi's leather-covered crotch, ". . . relief." He drawled the word in a way that he probably thought was seductive. It was, in fact, nauseating.

Omi forced himself to smile, not a warm, friendly Omi-smile, but the cold, calculating smile of the assassin he had chosen to be on that particular night.

"You up to the job?"

The man looked like he couldn't believe his luck. "Give me ten minutes," he said, eagerly. "I'll prove it to you."

"Over there," Omi nodded towards the relative seclusion of the nearest shop doorway.

He let the guy cup his butt as they walked. Omi carefully adjusted his breathing, making it just a little faster, raising his pulse as if this was what he'd wanted to happen all night.

Of course, in a way, it was.

Omi stood with his back flat against the glass of the shop door, and started to open his pants.

"On your knees," he said. "If you're good I might return the favour."

He pushed the man's head down and the guy complied happily, his nose on a level with what he probably thought was an erection just behind Omi's hand.

_Sorry_, thought Omi, grimly. _I'm a one-woman guy._

Omi looked up to find Ken. . .

Not there.

_Shit._

He thought fast, looking down at the disgusting specimen of humanity that was about to find out that Omi's burgeoning desire wasn't burgeoning at all, and that it really wasn't his lucky night.

There was nothing else for it, Omi realised. He'd just have to hope he could get it right first time.

He looked carefully at the grubby, straining neck laid out in front of him, raised his right hand, and struck neatly, one swift, powerful blow.

Omi's would-be suitor slumped against his legs, unconscious, and Omi let out a long sigh of relief, just as Ken appeared round the corner.

"Sorry," he panted. "There was a cop on the prowl. I had to-"

"Hide?" suggested Omi, furious. "Walk away?"

"Um. . . oh. I didn't think of that," said Ken. "I kinda, I didn't want him interrupting, so I took care of him."

"Idiot!" Omi pulled up their quarry by the greasy scruff of his neck, and shoved him at Ken. "The cops round here ignore everything short of an actual homicide taking place right in front of them. Which, on this occasion, we aren't doing, remember?" A sudden thought horrified Omi, and he stopped doing up his pants, looking at Ken with complete dismay on his face. "Kenken, you didn't. . . ?"

"Didn't what? Kill him? Omi, don't be silly." Ken held a cloth over the man's face.

_Chloroform. To make sure he didn't wake up and give us any nasty surprises. Like he was supposed to in the first place_, thought Omi, a little bitterly.

"I just knocked him out," Ken was saying. "And look, you were fine, huh? We've completed the mission. Let's drop this guy off for Manx, and we can be back before midnight, just like you wanted."

"Okay," said Omi, suddenly cheering up.

"And, er. . . Omi. . ."

"What, Ken-kun?"

"There's no need to mention this, um, incident to Aya, is there? Or Persia? Only he's still mad at me from last time."

"No," said Omi. "I won't. But make sure it doesn't happen again."

Ken bristled at the unusual authority in Omi's voice, but he didn't say anything. He hoiked one of their victim's arms over his shoulder, Omi taking the other so it would look to any bystanders as if they were helping a drunken friend down the sidewalk.

There was a glint of a knife and a low chuckle from the alleyway where Ken had left the unconscious policeman, but they didn't notice.

* * * * * * *

Yohji pulled back the covers and slid into bed with a sigh.

He felt clean and warm, his skin soft and toasty from the bath. Ran put down his book, and held out an arm for Yohji to snuggle into, dipping his head to press his lips lightly to Yohji's, moaning softly into their kiss.

If Yohji hadn't been quite so mellow, or quite so sleepy, or quite so horny, he might have started to worry that this all felt far too good to last. As it was he just sank into the pleasure of being in bed with the man he. . .

Did he? They hadn't used that word. They hadn't used any words. Yohji had been so sure he'd never feel that again. But...

His heart was pounding, all of a sudden.

"You feel good, Yohji."

"So do you, love. God, but you feel good. And. . . very hard."

Ran's lips vibrated softly against Yohji's neck, and down his shoulder, as he murmured something about Yohji's body being quite inspiring, and then they were kissing again. Yohji wound his tongue lazily around Ran's, again and again, sinking back onto the pillows, making a funny little mewling sound in the back of his throat.

"I want you, Yohji," Ran whispered in his ear, running his strong hands down the soft skin of Yohji's back. "Can I?"

Yohji snorted. "Idiot!" he said, but gently. "You don't have to ask."

Aya rolled him swiftly onto his back, his cock pressing urgently into Yohji's hip. He leaned over Yohji, supporting himself on strong arms locked straight, one either side of Yohji's head. "I never take it for granted," he said, seriously. "Nothing. Never."

"No," whispered Yohji. "Me neither."

They looked at each other for a long moment.

"Please," said Yohji.

Ran smiled, shifting his weight onto one hand so he could use the other to stroke Yohji's damp hair back from his face. His lips parted, just slightly, as if he was about to say something, but he hesitated.

Yohji drew his head down, and kissed him.

There were no toys this time, no games, no banter. There were long kisses, the slow sweep of hands over heated skin, gentle shifting and rocking of bodies against each other. And when Ran took Yohji, he took him slowly, slower than Yohji ever remembered anyone taking him before; he looked into Yohji's eyes for the longest time, as he moved slowly in and out of his body. He covered Yohji's eyes in kisses, wrapped his sex in the caress of slender fingers, filled him with heat and movement.

When Yohji came, Ran urged him on with soft words, and told him he was beautiful. And when he came himself, his head fell forwards with a long sigh, his soft hair stroking Yohji's face like a hand.

Yohji gathered him into his arms, and when he was sure Ran was asleep, he whispered new words into the still night air, to see if they were true.

* * * * * * *

Underneath the cabin was a basement and, this being a Kritiker-designed and maintained facility, it was furnished as a training room. There was a gym, and a range for missile weapons, and a dojo.

Ronin sat at the edge of the dojo, and watched Aya-chan practice her katas.

Her face was serious, intent, and she concentrated on every movement with care and precision. If it hadn't been for Ran, she'd never have cut herself at all.

"Aya-chan! Put that sword down _now_!"

She jumped, and dropped the sword guiltily.

Ran stood in front of her, his eyes flaming with rage.

"Boken," he said. "We agreed. The boken."

She looked at the floor, her cheeks burning.

"I can't teach you if you don't show respect for your weapon, or for me."

Aya-chan cursed herself. She'd only wanted to see what it felt like, and it was there, the katana, not Ran's, just any old katana, and she liked the feel of it in her hand. . .

She fought back hot tears.

She'd been so pleased when he'd agreed to teach her. His only condition, and not an unreasonable one from master to apprentice, was to start with the boken until he felt she was ready.

"Is this a Fujimiya-only fight, or can anyone join in?"

They both glared at Yohji, anger and repentance, and he decided not to come any further into the room. He leaned against the wall, one foot flat against the wood, and folded his arms across his chest.

Ran's expression softened, just a little, and he turned back to Aya-chan.

"Aya-chan, you're bleeding!" he cried, and she realised she was. Not much, just a little from the fleshy pad at the root of her thumb. The blade must have glanced across it as it fell.

"Aya-chan, I'm sorry. Here, let me see."

"S'okay," she said, sucking at the wound. "It's nothing."

Suddenly Yohji was there, pulling her hand from her mouth and looking it over critically. "You'll get away without stitches," he said. "But it needs dressing properly. Come upstairs, I'll see to it. Don't want your brother fainting, do we?"

Ran glared protest, and hustled them upstairs.

Ronin paused to spit at the sword, before he followed them.

* * * * * * *

The weather was starting to close in by Saturday afternoon, inky clouds gathering ominously in a slate-grey sky, the air tasting like steel. They were on their way back from a walk on the mountain, and Yohji was tired. He didn't much approve of walking, truth be told, although it was a price worth paying for Ran's good temper, and Aya-chan loved it. Unfortunately she seemed still to be resolutely ignoring any opportunity to break the news about her relationship with Omi to her brother.

"Can we stop?" he whined.

"Another cigarette break?" complained Aya-chan. "Kudoh, you really need to quit."

"One day, princess. But not today, alright? Be kind to an old man?"

"We're only fifteen minutes from home, tops."

"But I'm _tired_," moaned Yohji.

Aya-chan and Ran exchanged a look, a mixture of annoyance and indulgence on their faces, and stopped.

Yohji tried to look meaningfully at Aya, but she ignored him, somehow making sure he couldn't quite catch her eye.

He sighed.

"I can smell flowers," she said dreamily, laying back on a flattish rock.

"You've lived in the flower shop too long," said Yohji, taking a long drag on his newly-lit cigarette. "All I can see is mountain grass."

"I can smell it, too," said Ran. "Jasmine, stock, something like that."

Yohji shrugged. "I can't smell anything," he said.

There was a rumble in the distance that might have been thunder, except that it didn't come from the sky.

"Earthquake," said Yohji.

Ran shrugged. "Not big," he said.

The next rumble was louder, and the ground shook.

"Bigger," Ran observed, and reached out to hold Aya-chan's hand.

She was staring at the sky, a little frown on her face.

The ground was still shaking, a little harder now.

Yohji took a long drag on his cigarette. He wasn't used to earthquakes out of doors. Indoors, yeah. Lots of those. But he didn't remember one happening outside before.

"It's okay," said Ran. "It'll pass."

Sure enough, the trembling was lessening.

"That'll be why Ronin was howling like that when we left," said Yohji. "Cats can tell when there's going to be an earthquake. Can't they, sweetheart. Sweetheart?"

Aya-chan was still staring at the clouds massing above them, and her hand was gripping Ran's tightly.

"It's okay," said Yohji, scrambling to her side. "See? It's stopped."

"Aya-chan?" Ran couldn't disguise the panic in his voice.

Aya-chan shook her head, as if waking from a dream. "Sorry," she murmured. "I was miles away.

Yohji and Ran breathed a sigh of relief.

There was a crack of thunder so loud that they all jumped, and it started to rain.

"Fuck!" said Yohji. "See, this always happens when you go outside without a car. Who's stupid idea was it, anyway?"

"Quit complaining, Kudoh," said Ran. "A bit of rain won't hurt you. You're waterproof."

"It'll make my hair fluff out," complained Yohji.

The rain came faster, in big fat drops, and Aya-chan squealed. "Stop arguing," she yelled. "Run, you idiots!"

She ran ahead, laughing, as the rain came down.

"I'm not running," whined Yohji.

Ran looked at Yohji, rain streaking his hair and face, lower lip almost pouting. They were both already drenched.

"Do you have any idea how sexy you look when you're all wet like that?" he growled. "And how much I want to get you home and fuck you in a nice hot shower?

Yohji's sulky expression transformed to a wide grin. "Let's run."

* * * * * * *

The day was almost over, and Aya-chan still hadn't said anything about Omi. When Yohji and Ran had crept guiltily out of the shower, she'd been ensconced in her room on the phone to Keiko, and now it was dinner time. Yohji was getting worried. He wanted her to do it now, not tomorrow. Not when they were about to leave and Ran would be driving them back in a temper. It would be a really good idea to put a good night's sleep between Ran's inevitable fury and his seeing Omi again.

He needn't have worried, of course. Aya-chan was thinking much the same thing.

She switched off her phone, Keiko's voice still ringing in her ears, wishing her luck. She pulled a comb through her hair, tangled from getting wet in the rain, and rehearsed some words, mouthing them silently, trying to imagine any outcome to the conversation that didn't involve Ran and his katana and more blood.

She absently inspected the dressing on her hand. It had got drenched, of course. She'd best take it off and get Yohji to put a fresh one on.

She gently peeled the sodden cotton off her palm, and gazed at her wound in amazement.

It was completely healed.

She looked closer: there was the barest of scars, just a thin, white line, as if it had happened years ago.

It must be an omen. A sign. Possibly a portent, she decided, and pulled herself up to her full height, chin high, determined.

She was going to tell him. Now.

Yohji and Ran were in the sitting room, Yohji prodding the logs on the newly laid fire, its warmth already chasing away the post-storm chill. Ran sat watching him, stroking Ronin with long, kind fingers.

She cleared her throat; they both looked up, and smiled.

"Ran," she said, determination clear in her voice, "I've got something to tell you."

"What is it, Aya-chan?" Ran looked relaxed, and calm, and Yohji was here, and there was surely nothing to be frightened about.

Ronin waddled off Ran's lap and hopped to the floor.

Aya took a deep breath. She darted a look at Yohji; he nodded, and she noticed he was moving closer to Ran.

"I'minlovewithaTakatori," she said, all in a rush.

It hung in the air, and Aya-chan bit her lip. Damn. That wasn't how she'd planned to say it at all.

"Takatori?" Ran's eyes flashed purple.

Ronin ran under the sofa, and hid.


	2. Morning Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightingale's song  
> this morning,  
> soaked with rain
> 
> Issa

Ronin cowered under the sofa, watching as Aya-chan backed away a step from Ran's fierce expression.

"Not Takatori exactly," Aya-chan said, hastily. "I mean Omi. I'm dating Omi."

"You're... what?" Ran was on his feet, a mixture of instinctive anger and deep confusion in his eyes.

"I..." Aya's mind went blank; she stared at him and tried to think. Omi was his friend, she reminded herself. Surely it would be alright, she could explain. "I'm seeing Omi," she said. "He's my boyfriend."

"Why?" Ran struggled.

Aya couldn't think of a way to answer that without making it worse. "Ran, I'm sorry, I..." She stepped forwards, and tentatively touched his arm, but he snatched it away from her. She recoiled, hurt. "Ran!"

"What Ran means-" Yohji interjected, trying to catch Ran's eye and failing.

"Shut up, Kudoh," said Aya and Ran in unison, glaring at each other.

"It has to stop, Aya," said Ran, steel in his voice.

"No! Ran, think about it, it's Omi, you like Omi, he's your friend."

"But he's...." Ran paused: perhaps he was thinking about it, but it only seemed to make him angrier.

"Please, Ran, I love him!"

"That's enough, Aya," he said, coldly. "You heard me. It's over."

"What?! What d'you mean?"

"What I said. As soon as we get back, you finish it."

"You bastard! You can't do that!" Aya glared back at him, her eyes flashing with fury and hurt.

"Go to your room, Aya," said Yohji, quietly.

"No! Tell him, Yohji! Tell him he's being stupid and..."

"Go to your room. Now. I'll come talk to you in a while."

"But..."

"Now, Aya!" Yohji's serious, dangerous voice. The one even Ran didn't argue with. Often.

She threw one last look of anguish at her brother, and ran to her room, fighting her tears until she was safely behind the door.

Yohji sat back on the couch, and lit a cigarette.

"Don't say a word." Ran's fists clenched at his sides, the rest of his body deadly-still. "I just... I'll kill him. I swear, I'll kill him."

Yohji blew out a long plume of smoke, and arranged his lighter neatly on the arm of the sofa. "No, you won't. It's Omi, Ran. Not some monster. It's just Omi."

They both knew there was no such thing as 'just Omi'. But it seemed to soothe Ran a little, all the same.

"Why didn't she tell me before? Why didn't I know?"

"Probably because she knew how you'd react," said Yohji, gently. "Although I think she was hoping maybe you'd be a bit more sympathetic than this."

Ran turned to him, and for a moment Yohji thought he was in danger of getting hit. But then the anger seemed to drain from Ran's body, all at once, and he slumped down on the sofa, elbows on his knees, hiding his face in his hands.

"Shit," he said. "Oh, shit."

Yohji bravely risked putting an arm around his shoulders, and was surprised when it wasn't shrugged off.

"I've fucked up," came Ran's muffled voice from behind his palms. "She'll hate me forever."

"We can fix it," said Yohji. "She knows it's not easy for you. That's partly why she was so terrified."

Ran scrubbed his face with his hands and looked up. "Terrified?"

Yohji risked a half-smile. "You're scary, you know."

To Yohji's relief, Ran managed a half-smile back. "Fuck off," he said.

Yohji gave his shoulders a squeeze. "It'll be okay. It'll just take a bit of getting used to. At least she told you."

The smile faded on Ran's lips. "You knew," he realised.

"Yes," Yohji admitted. "But she had to tell you for herself. I didn't like not telling you."

He kept his eyes steady on Ran's, trying to look calmer than he felt. He'd been dreading this moment almost as much as Aya-chan had.

"How long?" Ran shuffled forwards, and Yohji's arm fell from his shoulders.

"Since that episode with Schuldig. It was the way Omi reacted. He took a bullet for her, Ran. That must mean something, surely?"

"He was reckless," said Ran, stubbornly. "He didn't think, that's why he got injured, he could've made things worse, charging in like that."

"Exactly," said Yohji. "Love doesn't make you wise, Ran. It makes you crazy."

"You should have told me."

Yohji didn't answer. Maybe he should have, but it was too late now.

He realised Ran was getting up, moving off the couch.

"Where are you going?"

"I need some air. I need to think."

"It's late. Don't be long, huh? There's... things, out there."

Ran gave him a withering look. "I think I'll manage," he said.

Yohji watched sadly as Ran fetched his coat, stuffing his arms down the sleeves as he stalked from the cabin.

Ronin tentatively emerged from under the couch, and looked up at Yohji with somewhat timid emerald eyes.

"'s okay, kitten." Yohji patted the space next to him where Ran had been just a few moments before. "Scary man's gone."

Ronin brushed his nose along Yohji's thigh, and started to purr.

* * * * * * *

"Sweetheart, let me in."

"Fuck off Kudoh."

"We have to talk."

"What part of 'fuck off' don't you understand?"

"I can wait a long time, you know. Your choice."

After a few moments, she opened the door.

"We have to talk about your language sometime," he said. "It's not lady-like."

She snorted, and went back to sit on her bed, flinging herself down with a heavy sigh.

"Has he sent you to try and persuade me to finish with Omi? Because it won't work. You can save your breath."

"No, he hasn't. He's gone out."

She looked up at him, startled. "Out?"

"Went for a walk." Yohji sat on the bed next to her, and Ronin jumped up between them, padding over to sit on Aya's lap. She automatically started to stroke the little cat.

"What happened to the bandage?" said Yohji, noticing for the first time that the katana wound he'd treated that morning wasn't covered. "You should keep it wrapped up until-" His eyes went wide as she showed him her palm. Completely healed, except for a faded, rule-straight scar.

"Got better," she said. "Weird, huh? I guess it wasn't as bad as it looked."

Yohji frowned, stroking the scar with one finger. "But..."

"Anyway, that's beside the point." She snatched her hand back and stroked Ronin hard, hard enough that he gave a little meep of protest before settling back to purring.

"You need to give him a bit of time to get used to the idea. It'll be fine, I promise. It could have been a lot worse."

"He was so angry all of a sudden." She looked at Yohji with red-rimmed eyes, and he realised she was still trembling a little from crying. "Not that I was scared. But he's never been that angry with me before. Not even with the katana thing. He looked... furious."

"You're lucky, sweetheart. He gets mad at me all the time."

"I don't know where he gets his temper from. Dad was so quiet."

"Wherever he got it, he wasn't the only one. You can be scary too, you know. Maybe it was your mother?"

She shook her head. "She was even quieter. Traditional, you know? She believed her place was to look after her husband, and us, and..."

The tears came back, then, noiseless, trickling down her face to splash in Ronin's soft fur.

"Yohji, I miss her so much," she whispered. "It hurts."

Yohji reached out to her, his heart aching. "I know." He knelt behind her on the bed, cradling her in his arms, her back warm against his chest, his head close to hers as she wept. He kissed her hair.

"She would have liked Omi," she said, quietly. "Well, except for him being a... you know."

_A killer. Well, yeah, that would put even the most tolerant parent off_, thought Yohji. "Everyone likes Omi. Even Ran. He just wants to protect you. I honestly think it would have been the same whoever it was. He's not good at sharing, in case you hadn't noticed."

She managed a weak smile, wiped her wet face with the back of one hand.

"Tell me more about your family," said Yohji gently. "What was your father like?"

"Kind," she said. "Patient, stubborn. He always had time for people. Sensitive. You wouldn't believe it, but Ran used to be a lot like him, before.... well, before. He thought the world of Ran. So proud of him. He wanted Ran to be a teacher, and I think he would have been, if... It's what he used to say he wanted to be, when we were kids. A high school teacher."

"What about you? What did you want to be?" Yohji settled himself behind her, still holding her close, tangling his fingers alongside hers in Ronin's fur.

"I wanted to marry the lead singer of some Tokyo pop band, mostly," she said, with a little laugh. "I was so girly you wouldn't believe. It was all make up and boys. I always liked computers, so I'd say I wanted a career in web design, maybe, or programming. Or art. I was good at art. My mother wanted me to be a nurse, but..." she gave a bitter little laugh. "I never want to step inside a hospital again now, I can promise you that." She fell silent for a few moments, rhythmically stroking Ronin from ears to tail. "I never gave the future a thought, to be honest. Still don't. What's the point? You never know what's going to happen, or even if you're going to be there. Living in the present is a much safer bet."

Yohji couldn't argue with that. The way his life had turned out, the future seemed too much to ask for, sometimes.

"You must feel sorry for me," Aya-chan continued. "You shouldn't. I'm lucky I've got you, and Ran. It's just that sometimes I get sad."

"Of course you do. Ran does, too, but he'll never talk about it. At least not to me."

"Me neither."

"He probably should."

"Mm. If he lets me live and decides to speak to me again, I might ask him about it."

"Idiot. Of course he'll speak to you again. He's just being all snarly and possessive, and not what you need right now. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"There's things I'd like to know, about my mother and father. Things they might have told him but not me, with me being young. Growing up stuff. They must have left things, that weren't in the house, papers and things, but-"

"The Takatoris were very thorough," said Yohji. "I wouldn't bank on anything surviving. If it had, I'm sure Ran would've..."

They lapsed into silence again, Yohji rocking her gently in his arms.

"She used to make the most amazing cakes, my mother," Aya-chan whispered.

She talked for a long time, and Yohji listened. She talked about her mother: how beautiful she was, how she used to spend hours in the school holidays making up games for them, how she would tell them stories at bedtime and act out the voices and everything. She told him about the time her mother had had to go into hospital to have her appendix removed, and how Aya had found a nine-year old Ran in the little summerhouse in the garden, crying because he missed her so much. How she'd looked after him and their father for the next three days, trying to be as much like her mother as she could, knowing she was doomed to fail.

"Is that what it feels like to him?" she whispered. "Is he trying so hard to be like them for me, and knowing he never can be?"

"Sometimes. He loves you so much. He just wants what's best for you."

"I know, Yohji. I know." She yawned; Ronin had fallen fast asleep on her lap, and Yohji knew it must be getting late.

"You ready to sleep now, princess?"

"I think. Yes. He's not back yet."

"No, but he soon will be. Don't worry. By morning it'll all be better. We'll go find that shrine, like you wanted to, and we'll make Ran get us lunch, and then we'll pack up and go back, and you'll be with Omi again."

"And Ran won't kill me? Or Omi?"

"Definitely not. I can't promise he'll slap Omi on the back and call him brother, but it'll work out. You'll see."

"Okay."

Yohji slid slowly off the bed, careful not to disturb Ronin. "I'll see you in the morning."

Aya yawned again. "Thanks for listening," she said.

"Anytime. 'Night, sweetheart."

"Night, Kudoh."

Yohji slipped quietly from the room. It was nearly midnight, and the fire had burned down to ashes, leaving the room slightly chilled. He paused to fetch another sweater and his coat, and went in search of Ran.

* * * * * * *

He found him at the edge of the woods close to the cabin. He was leaning against a tree, hands stuffed in his pockets, gazing up at the stars.

"Hey." Yohji stamped his cigarette out with his foot and waited, standing next to Ran, not quite touching. "Beautiful night."

"Hn."

"You coming in soon? Only the bed's kinda cold. Could use warming up."

"Aya?"

"She's okay. A bit sad. You know, she didn't want to hurt you."

"Hn."

Ran showed no signs of moving, so Yohji lit another cigarette. He looked over to the cabin, realised he could see the balcony. Like Botan must have, that night, when he saved Yohji from Neu.

Botan.

"There's a lot of memories here, huh Ran?"

"Hn."

It was going to be one of those conversations, evidently. The ones where Yohji made all the running and Aya managed a range of different grunts.

Yohji felt tired, all of a sudden.

"I was thinking of Botan," he murmured, half to himself.

"Botan?"

"Yeah, you remember, tall guy, made origami a deadly force for the good." Yohji knew he sounded overly flippant, but he didn't have the energy to guard his words any more.

"Yes."

That was one up from 'Hn', at any rate.

"Can I ask you something?"

"What?" Ran didn't look at him, still staring at the constellations laid out before them in the inky sky.

"Botan and you... you liked him a lot, didn't you?"

"Liked him?"

"You hung out with him a while, and you said... I thought... There was more to it than that, wasn't there? Something happened."

"If you mean did we have sex, then yes, we had sex. I thought I told you."

"Yeah, you did, only..." Yohji dragged heavily on his cigarette. He wasn't sure why he was digging all this up, now, or all times. Sometimes he wondered if he secretly liked torturing himself. He was fairly sure that wasn't it, though. "But you... there was something there. A connection between you."

"Yes. He was... well, he was fucking annoying, and I only knew him for a few days, but... yes. I liked him. Why?"

"You liked him a lot," Yohji persisted. "Loved him, maybe."

Then, Ran turned to look at him, exasperated. "No," he said. "It was good, while it lasted. I don't know what you'd call it, really. But whatever it was, it wasn't love."

"You sure you know the difference?"

Ran kept his steady violet gaze locked on Yohji. "Yes," he said.

Yohji looked at Ran for a moment, and then all of a sudden, he was kissing him. He should have been talking, getting him to think about Aya, reasoning with him, persuading him, but he was cupping his face in his hands, pushing him hard against the tree with the weight of his body, and kissing him passionately. Ran was startled for the barest instant, then he wound his arms around Yohji's neck and started to kiss him back.

"Ran," Yohji gasped, "Ran, please come to bed."

"I thought you came out here to talk," said Ran, more than a little breathless himself. "About Aya, to persuade me not to..."

"It's been a long night," said Yohji. "Right now I just want you. I want to make love to you and hold you and then in the morning we can talk. Please, Ran. Please."

Ran assented with a squeeze to Yohji's hand, and followed him back inside.

* * * * * * *

They barely managed to get out of their coats before they hit the bed. It was like it used to be after missions. Desperate with the need to escape, to hide in each others' bodies until the nightmares weren't a threat anymore, to chase conscience and reason away. They undressed in a frenzy; Yohji wanted to cover every inch of Ran's emerging flesh with lips and tongue, to worship the ivory skin and the firm muscles that shifted underneath, flexing tantalisingly with the effort of getting out of clothes. When finally they were naked, he found himself on top of Ran, gripping his hips with trembling thighs, clasping both their cocks together in his palms.

"Can I? You? Can I?" he panted.

"Yes," breathed Ran. "Please."

Yohji kissed him hungrily, winding eartails around his fingers, then moved his mouth along Ran's jaw to his neck, licking softly around the shell of his ear, tasting ridges and hollows with the tip of his tongue.

It didn't matter how many times he did this, how many times he kissed Ran's skin, stroked the elegant length of his erection, cupped his balls in his palm. However many times he kissed his way down breastbone, past ribs to quivering belly, however many times he licked the head of Ran's cock in swirling laps, the sweet taste of his precome tormenting his tongue, however many times he parted Ran's lean thighs and knelt between them, his heart racing with excitement at what he was about to do... it was never the same, never what he expected, and it was never, ever enough.

He took Ran's cock into his mouth, loving the thickness of it, not taking it all the way down but relishing the feel of it on his tongue. A rummage under a pillow produced some lube, and he took time to slick Ran thoroughly, making sure not to wet his own dick until the last minute, knowing if he touched it too soon or for too long it was likely to embarrass him.

He rolled on his back, pulling Ran on top of him, still kissing and licking, marking Ran's skin briefly with little nips and bites along his shoulder, then settling to suck at the junction of throat and collarbone, raising a bruise before Ran noticed well enough to stop him. Ran paused to line himself up, then sank down on Yohji in one move, all the way, sheathing him, hiding him, holding him.

Then he paused. He looked down at Yohji, both of them breathing hard, and ran his fingertips slowly down Yohji's face, his eyes deep, intense, as if he were searching for something.

"Ran...?"

"I..." He looked panicked, then, worried.

"What?"

"Nothing." A smile chased the troubled expression from Ran's face, and his eyes gleamed with lust. "Fuck me, Kudoh."

Yohji had no problem with that idea at all. But he wondered.

It had broken the urgency, somehow, that inarticulate little exchange, and Yohji took his time, holding Ran still and pushing up into him with long thrusts. He watched Ran stroke himself for a little while, before batting his hand away and replacing it with his own, and they moved like that for a long time, holding off for as long as possible.

Ran writhed on Yohji's cock as if he were dancing, his hips slow and sinuous, his eyes closed, his arms stretching above his head, muscles flexing. It was just too beautiful a sight for Yohji, and he came suddenly, taking both of them by surprise. The world blacked out for a moment and Yohji felt nothing but the slick heat of Ran's insides clamping around him, and suddenly he was gliding easily in and out of Ran's body, bathed in his own wetness as he felt the last few spurts. He came back to earth as the first splash of Ran's semen hit his chest; somehow Yohji had managed to keep stroking his cock, and now it was pumping its load over Yohji's skin; Ran had hold of it and he was aiming, Yohji realised, spreading the thick stripes of white across his body to make sure he was completely covered. When the last dribbles had been coaxed out, Ran dipped his fingers in the warm pools and spread it over Yohji's chest and belly like lotion, watching, fascinated at the way it thickened as it cooled. Finally he sat back, Yohji's cock softening now inside him, but still firm enough to stay put and be felt.

"You'll need a shower, now," Ran said, with a smirk.

Yohji quickly scooped up a fingerfull of sticky come and painted a line down Ran's chest with it.

"You too," he grinned.

Ran laughed.

"Unless you want me to lick it off?" Yohji offered.

"Shower," said Ran. "Then sleep. Need sleep."

"I could make do with a wash. I don't want to wake Aya-chan up running the shower."

"It's a bit late for that, Kudoh. You came like a steam train."

"Oh." Yohji winced. "Was I loud?"

"Yes would be an understatement."

"Damn. I'm sorry. I can't seem to help it."

Ran leaned down to swipe a kiss across his lips as he raised his hips carefully, letting Yohji's cock slip out to slap wetly on his belly. "I like it," he said.

"Oh, God, Ran..." Yohji pulled his head down again for a longer kiss.

By the time they'd showered and got into bed, snuggling together to avoid the cold of the sheets, Yohji was bone-weary. There was no doubt about it, Fujimiyas were hard work.

But worth it, he reflected, sleepily running strands of damp crimson silk between his fingers. Very, very worth it.

* * * * * * *

Omi whistled to himself as he whisked eggs in a large bowl, keeping his eye on the warming oil in the pan on the stove. He'd discovered French toast whilst on a mission in Europe a year or so previously, and had been partial to it ever since. He added milk and pepper, and had just dunked the first piece of bread when something on the TV caught his eye.

It was the street, where he'd been last night. The mission. When they'd captured the spy. It was cordoned off with yellow tape, surrounded by bystanders.

"...the officer is survived by a wife and two teenage daughters."

Officer?

But Ken had said... Ken hadn't...

Omi put down the bowl and took the pan off the heat, flicking channels to find the full story somewhere else. Gathering bits and pieces from different news programmes, he managed to piece things together. The policeman had been found last night, not long after they'd left the scene, in the alley where Ken had said he'd left him, but not unconscious. Dead. Stabbed and mutilated, apparently, as if clawed by some kind of feral animal.

But Ken had said...

He'd been very distracted lately, though. Irresponsible, even. Charging at Schuldig like he had, not thinking... but surely Ken wouldn't have...

Just unconscious, he'd said.

Omi went back to whisking, forgetting at first that he'd already put in a slice of bread. He cursed, and put the whole messy bowlfull in the pan, his mind racing. Ken was already out, gone to soccer practice, so he couldn't be asked. He didn't want to tell Manx, he'd promised Ken that he wouldn't. Only one thing for it, then.

Omi settled down to a breakfast of bread omelette, and planned a trip to the morgue.

* * * * * * *

Yohji could smell the rain when he woke, he could hear it pattering against the window to the balcony. He could feel Ran's warm body cuddled up to his, the soft sheets caressing both their bodies. The room was filled with the smell of wet grass and warm wood, and, very faintly, sex. He felt comfortable, and sleepy, and content.

Ran stirred a little and swatted at his nose, which was being tickled by a strand of hair. Yohji was reminded suddenly of Ronin, and had to stifle a giggle.

He was about to settle down for another half an hour so of delicious sleep when the phone rang. Ran sat up, instantly awake, and reached over Yohji's prone form to pick it up.

Yohji refused to listen to the conversation on principle, hiding his head under a pillow. He'd caught the name 'Manx' early on, and that was all he needed to know.

As if it wasn't bad enough that they had to go back today, and that he had to help Ran face Omi without causing him any permanent damage, now there was Manx afoot. He had a sudden vision that his day was not going to live up to its early promise.

"Come out, Kudoh. Time to get up."

"Shan't."

"Come on, you lazy bastard. We need to buy food."

"What? Why?" Yohji cautiously emerged from behind his pillow. "We're going home. What d'we need food for?"

"We're not going yet. We're staying for another few days. Ken and Omi are joining us here later today."

"Oh." Yohji sat up, watching as Ran got out of bed and started searching for clothes. "Did they cock up the mission, then?"

"She didn't say. Just that they'd be along late this afternoon, and we should all stay here until we get further instructions. They'll explain when they get here." Ran's tone implied that their explanation was in no way optional, and that it had better be good.

"Oh." The implications of this change of plan started to sink in. No need to rush about and drive back to Tokyo in the heat of the afternoon. No shop. No work in the morning. Unusually, for anything remotely associated with Manx and Kritiker, it sounded remarkably good.

"Okay," said Yohji. Ran was already dressed in jeans and a sweater, pulling a comb through his hair. "This is turning into an actual vacation. I can't remember the last time we had one of those. We can go to the hot springs. Just as soon as you've had a talk with Aya-chan."

"Hn."

"She's not going to change her mind," said Yohji. "Even less so if you start laying down the law or trying to hurt Omi."

Ran frowned irritably. "I wouldn't hurt Omi."

"You were threatening to kill him last night."

"That was different."

"But you do have to talk to her."

"Hn."

"What are you going to say?"

"I don't know," confessed Ran, and sat heavily on the end of the bed, his back to Yohji.

"You're not going to try and stop them seeing each other, are you?"

"She's too young. She's only seventeen."

"Nineteen, if you count the time she was unconscious."

"I don't. Neither does she."

"So what were you doing when you were seventeen?"

He looked at Yohji over one shoulder. "I was at school," he said. "Why?"

"Yes, and-? Were you dating? Seeing anyone?"

"No."

"Oh." That took the wind out of Yohji's sails somewhat.

"Why, were you?"

_Oh yeah. And then some_. "I don't really remember. I expect so. I think most kids are."

"Oh." Ran sounded genuinely surprised.

"So when did you?"

"Much later. I was in Crashers. I must have been nearly 20."

That confirmed some of Yohji's personal suspicions. "But the point is-"

"How old were you, Yohji?" Ran had twisted round so he was facing Yohji now, sitting cross legged on the bed, looking oddly innocent and curious in a way he hardly ever did.

"Like I said, I don't really exactly remember."

"Yohji." A low growl. It was disconcerting, how often Ran could tell when he was lying.

"Fourteen or so. But... that was different. The point is that it's not unusual for people Aya and Omi's age to be dating. I'd say it was pretty standard. And at least we can keep an eye on them. It's not like you'd have to get used to the idea of her actually going out, or the risk of her boyfriend finding out about us."

"What, you and me? You think it would be difficult for her because I'm gay?"

"I was thinking more of the whole assassin thing," said Yohji with a wry grin.

"Oh. Right. That."

"You're not telling me you hadn't thought of what would happen when Aya grew up?"

"No, I just... I didn't expect it now. In a couple of years' time, maybe, when she's at college, or after. Not now. And not Omi. Definitely not Omi."

"No." Although Aya's choice was making more sense to Yohji, in hindsight. Omi was cute, and he had the whole big blue eyes and cheerful disposition going for him. Most of all, he knew what had happened to her, and he understood what it was like to lose your family. And, of course, he cared for her.

Ran was looking lost, plucking bits of fluff off the comforter.

"We need some ground rules," suggested Yohji. "Especially because we're all living together. Like, they shouldn't be in each others' rooms alone. Or something."

"He's been looking after her," Ran realised. "We've gone out and left him alone with her lots of times. What if... Oh, shit, Yohji, do I have to have that talk with her as well? The sex one?"

"Um..." Yohji paused for a moment to imagine Ran, of all people, explaining the facts of life to Aya. "I don't think that's necessary. They cover the basics at school, I think and anyway... Ran, have you ever actually had sex with a woman?"

Ran looked at him and slowly shook his head.

"Never wanted to," he said.

Yohji was learning more about him every day.

"So there you are. Maybe we could ask Manx, or Birm-"

"You could do it."

"Oh no. Oh, no, Ran, I really couldn't."

"You're not going to tell me you never had sex with a woman either?" There was a grin on Ran's face that was teasing and incredibly hot all at once.

"No, of course I have. You know I have." _There was that time you walked in on me and that dancer from the club, remember?_ "I mean, I'm probably not the best person to advise her. It's different for girls. There's the monthly thing, and birth control and all that."

Ran went a little pale.

"You don't think they already..."

"No," said Yohji, quickly. "I mean, Omi wouldn't... would he?"

"I'll call Manx tonight," said Ran.

"Excellent idea," said Yohji.

There was a knock on the door, and Aya-chan came in. She was dressed in a blue silk robe, her hair tied loosely down her back, Ronin perched on one shoulder. She looked sad, a little grumpy, even.

"I thought I'd come and get the lecture done with," she said.

"Come here, sweetheart." Yohji patted the space on the bed between himself and Ran; she popped Ronin down on the bed and knelt there, daring to meet Ran's gaze. Yohji gently stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry, Ran," she said. "I didn't want to make you mad, really I didn't."

Ran took her hand, and clasped it in both of his.

"It's alright," he said. "I'm not mad."

"You were last night."

"That was last night. I've had a chance to think." He glanced at Yohji over her shoulder; Yohji nodded encouragingly. "I'm not going to try and stop you seeing him. But there has to be rules."

Yohji could sense the smile spreading across her face, even without seeing it.

"Of course," she said. "I understand. What rules?"

"I still need to think about that," said Ran. "But I want you to promise me one thing."

"What?" she asked.

"Don't do anything Kudoh would do," said Ran, with an absolutely straight face.

"Oh, absolutely," she said, and laughed, flinging her arms around Ran's neck, whispering something in his ear that Yohji couldn't hear.

"Hey," he said, in his best offended tone. "Are you saying I have loose morals?"

"Yes," said Ran and Aya, in unison.

"No-one understands me, cat," said Yohji, turning his affections to Ronin, mussing the fur along the furry belly that was offered to him. "You can never trust a Fujimiya, you know. They're nothing but trouble."

"Hey, Aya," said Ran. "Your wound. What happened to it?"

He was holding Aya's hand, turning it gently in his, examining it closely.

"Oh, it healed," she said.

"Already? But it was so deep." He traced the line of her scar with a gentle finger.

"I figure I still have some of the old regeneration thing going on," she said, with a shrug. "My body does weird things sometimes. Like my hair grows twice as fast as it should, and you know I haven't had a single cold since I woke up... it's just like that, I guess."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Ran was worried, and Yohji wondered if he should have been.

"Well, yes, idiot! I'm more alright than I should be - that's not a bad thing, is it?"

"No, of course not." Ran frowned.

"So when do we have to go home? Yohji promised to take me to the shrine, remember?"

"We're not going home, Princess," said Yohji, "we have to stay a few more days. But before you go all shi-ne on me," he added, seeing the start of a glare in her eyes, "the good part is that Omi and Ken are joining us for a couple of days."

Aya beamed at him through her raven bangs. "Really? Omi? Here?"

They both felt Ran stiffen a little, but he didn't say anything.

"Yes," said Yohji. "Manx seems to think the mountain air will be good for him. So why don't you run along and make up rooms for them, while we get breakfast?"

Aya bounded off the bed, a broad grin on her face.

"Oh, and Aya," Yohji added.

"Yes?"

"Make sure Omi's room is the one at the other end of the house from yours, alright?"

"Yes, Yohji-san," she said, cheekily, and fled before Yohji could throw the pillow he was reaching for.

"You know, that girl's getting distinctly disrespectful," said Yohji.

"Really?" said Ran, a smirk on his lips. "Well, she certainly doesn't get it from me."

He almost dodged the pillow.

* * * * * * *

"So who was it?"

Yohji opened his eyes and squinted at Ran through the mist. He was feeling particularly languid and relaxed; the water was very warm and his loins were very happy after a long and satisfying session of lovemaking. He'd never done it in hot springs before, although he'd always wanted to, and the springs behind the cabin had captured his imagination the very first time he'd been there. They were private, above all, far enough off the beaten track that it was very, very unlikely anyone would find them at all, and with the added bonus that they were on land which, like the cabin, belonged to Kritiker and was therefore fully alarmed. So no interruptions.

He had his suspicions about hidden cameras, but he could live with that. Especially as the thought didn't seem to occur to Ran.

"Who was who?" he asked. There was still a fine rain falling, which was rather pleasant, a cooling spray to counter the heat of the water they sat side by side in. And it kept Ran's hair deliciously wet and plastered around his face, which looked adorable.

"Your first. When you were fourteen."

Yohji didn't recall Ran ever asking him anything about his past before. He'd listened patiently while Yohji had talked about it, but he'd never really asked like that, out of the blue.

"My first was earlier."

A scarlet eyebrow shot up.

"Don't get judgy. I won't tell you if you get judgy." Yohji took a long drag on his damp cigarette.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to. It's surprising, is all."

"Well."

"Was it with a woman? Or a man?"

"A woman. At least, that time was. I was thirteen. It was a friend of my mother's."

To his credit, Ran kept his eyebrows under control, although the effort of doing so was writ clear on his face. "Oh?"

"She was going through some kind of trouble at home. I don't think her husband was very nice to her: he hardly ever seemed to be there, and when he was he was often drunk. My mother used to send me round to help her with jobs around the house, and we'd talk, watch TV and that kind of thing. Then one day she asked me if I found her attractive."

"And you did?"

"Oh yeah. Fuck, I was a healthy 13 year old boy. I found anything that moved attractive. And she was nice. Younger than my mother. Very independent-minded. We kissed and one thing led to another." He sucked thoughtfully on his cigarette for a moment. "I'm not even sure she knew how young I was. I looked older, I think."

"You had an affair with her?"

"No. The next day I went round to her house after school as usual to help with some chores, and it was just like it had never happened. She was always nice to me, though. I missed her when she moved away."

"Oh." Ran looked a little stunned.

"It was a year later that I started dating, I suppose."

"And..."

"And?"

"Who was the first man?"

Yohji paused.

"Ran..."

"Yeah?" Ran smoothed his wet hair over his skull, rubbed the water out of his eyes.

"Why are you asking me this stuff? I mean, why now?"

"Just curious," said Ran, casually. "There's so much we don't know about each other. Considering all we've been through."

That was true. Very true. They'd talked about a lot of things, over the years, death, religion, hell, mission tactics, and, again, death. Never the everyday things.

"He was my best friend. We messed about as kids and sort of kept messing about after. You know, between girlfriends and all."

"As kids?"

"Yeah. Exploring. You know."

The expression on Ran's face showed clearly that he didn't.

"Then do most... do..." he struggled.

"I don't know." Yohji picked up Ran's hand under the water, raised it to his lips to kiss. "It's not that unusual, I don't think. Does it matter?" He nibbled gently at the end of Ran's middle finger.

Ran smiled, and sank a little further under the water.

"So what about you?" asked Yohji. "Who was your first?"

"Yuushi." And then, when Yohji looked blankly at him, "Knight."

It was on the tip of his tongue to make some obvious comment about always going for team-mates, but somehow Yohji managed to control himself for once.

"How did that come about then?" he asked, instead.

"After a mission, one time," said Ran.

Yohji waited. Ran didn't say anything.

"Well?" asked Yohji, eventually.

"Well what?"

"What happened?"

"We had sex."

"Yeah, I got that part, I mean..." _I mean how did he get you into bed when you were virginal, when it took me months to seduce you?_ "How did it happen? Did he just pounce you after a mission, or..."

"No, it was more gradual than that. I realised I liked him, in that way, and... well, he liked me too, turned out. But we didn't do anything for a long time. It wouldn't have been right, working together and everything..."

Yohji smiled. That sounded very much like Ran. "But?"

"But one time he was really upset, I never did find out why, but we were in his room and just talking, I was sort of keeping his mind off things and, well, things happened. Started out as a hug, and there was kissing, and... things happened, slowly."

So very different to what had happened between Ran and himself. Yohji remembered that night vividly: the stench of blood and fear and whiskey, desperate kisses and wild sex. Very wild sex.

"And then there was Botan."

"Yes. And you."

"And that's it?"

"Pretty much. The odd one night stand. You know what I was like, back then."

"Yeah." Cold, heartless, sexy as sin. Irresistible.

"Botan bothers you. You were asking about him last night."

_Yeah. And now Knight bothers me, too._ "Not really. I just always wondered what happened. You were so cut up when he got killed."

"He cared about me. He cared about people. I couldn't do that. Not then. It seemed so sad, that he should die, when he could have done so much more than me."

Yohji twined his fingers more firmly around Ran's. He couldn't think of anything to say.

"You know I love you, Yohji?"

Yohji stared at him. The sun filtered through the morning rain, making Ran's skin glow, his eyes shine. Water beaded on his pale skin, ran in little rivulets down his chest to the warm spring water. His hand felt soft and strong, curled around Yohji's. The world stopped.

Love?

"Yes," he whispered.

Ran cupped Yohji's face in his other hand, the one that wasn't gripping his; he drew him closer and kissed him, lips and tongue, perfect lips and tongue. Yohji felt long fingers run through his hair to the back of his head, pulling him gently away from the rocky edge of the pool. He let Ran guide him, not breaking the kiss, pulling Yohji into his lap. They were both hard, both sore from before but hard just the same, their cocks bouncing together, skin greeting familiar skin. Ran pulled the hand that was still joined with Yohji's to brush knuckles along the sides of both their erections, still kissing, swiping his tongue along Yohji's lower lip, noses brushing together.

Then Ran's hand was tracing down Yohji's spine, pausing at his waist, his hipbone, and finally cupping around his butt. The water moved around them, the kisses were soft, everything damp and warm.

Fingers kneaded and stroked Yohji's butt, probing his crack, pulling his buttocks apart. He felt the invasion of one finger, and another, and something wetter than the water that lapped around them. Ran lifted him easily, nudged the head of his cock into place, and pushed Yohji's hips down, swallowing the gasp that Yohji released as he was impaled on Ran's erection .

He couldn't speak; he was lost in the sensation of Ran filling him, stretching him, carefully but not gently. The kisses that rained on his face and neck, the teeth that nipped at his shoulders, the fingers that teased his nipples and raked down his chest. He wound his arms around Ran's neck, clutching the rocky edge of the pool to gain the purchase he needed to raise himself up and down to meet the rock of Ran's hips; the breath caught in his throat as Ran took his cock in both hands and started to stroke in time with his thrusts.

The rain got harder, splashing in the water that churned around them, but the sun shone brighter, streaking from sky to earth in wide, glittering shafts. There was a hint of rainbow to the east, the promise of clear skies beyond. Yohji bowed his head, oblivious to the landscape, burying his face in Ran's neck with a whimper as Ran kissed his hair.

He erupted quickly over Ran's fingers and belly, filling the water with white, and yet it still felt good, Ran moving inside him, building steadily to his own completion. He felt soft kisses on his ear, his neck, his mouth, and then suddenly the body in his arms snapped tight as Ran came, jerking inside him, filling him, kissing him with tight, shuddering lips.

He gasped for air, his forehead resting on Ran's, his sore cock beginning to protest, even through the sated pleasure. He didn't care. He didn't care at all.

"I love you," he gasped, suddenly, quickly. Before the moment went. Before he got scared. Before it was too late.

Ran kissed him again, and held him close for the longest time, in the steam and rain and sun, until Yohji's legs were cramping under him, and Ran's cock slipped soft from his body.

"We ought to get back," he whispered. "Aya'll be up soon."

Ran nodded his assent; Yohji clambered creakily from his lap and reached for a towel.

He felt like singing.

* * * * * * *

"Oh, God, Farfarello! Stop that!"

"Be quiet, Schuldig," said Nagi, quietly. "Crawford's trying to have a vision."

"But it's disgusting! For fuck's sake, cover it up, Farf. None of us wants to see that."

Farfarello's insane eyes sparkled at him; he laughed.

Laughter was supposed to be something pleasant and cheerful, thought Schuldig. Not like that. Not like that at all.

"Crawford, make him stop," he whined.

"Farfarello!" barked Crawford. "Stop!"

Farfarello switched off the laughter instantly, and accepted the roll of bandage that Nagi handed him. Schuldig tried not to watch as he wrapped it around the freshly sliced flesh of his arm, humming to himself as if he were arranging a vase of flowers rather than dealing with a gruesome, self-inflicted wound.

"What did you see?" Nagi was asking Crawford.

Crawford was giving one of his self-satisfied little smiles, pushing his spectacles up his nose.

"Oh come on, tell," said Schuldig, not watching Farfarello as his tied up his bandage and licked his blood off a long, cruel spike of a dagger.

"I'm not sure, exactly," said Crawford, sounding absolutely certain. "But you're in luck. We're due a little vacation."

He looked around at them, and the light of the sun that crept through the murky windows glinted off his glasses.

"Let's go to the mountains," he said.

***

Fujimiya Aya stalked through the tall grass, almost silent and entirely focused on his target.

Kudoh Yohji watched him from a respectful distance, taking in the experience of watching a master at work.

Aya slowed to a halt, and waited. His coat shimmered, coming to rest around his legs. His eartails fluttered in the mountain breeze.

He leapt to his right.

"Quick, Yohji! He's coming your way!"

It took Yohji a moment to take in the possibility that Aya had missed, and by then it was (not that he'd ever admit it) pure fluke that he spotted the target streaking through the undergrowth to his right. He fixed his eyes firmly on the path of ruffled grass and started to run. Aya was coming from his left, they were headed out of the scrub; any minute now the target would lose cover and then-

"Now!"

Kudoh Yohji and Fujimiya Aya hurled themselves in perfect synchronicity at the ground, and the target was swiftly captured.

Yohji rolled onto his back, gasping for breath, clutching a small, squirming, furry body to his chest.

"Stupid cat," muttered Ran, panting almost as hard as Yohji. He might be fitter than his lover, but he was twice as angry.

"I never thought he could run so fast," said Yohji. He squinted down at Ronin, who licked his lips somewhat defensively, and stared at a space about six inches from Yohji's left ear, clearly keen to avoid eye contact.

"It probably saw a mouse," said Ran. "It's an animal. A hunter. Following instincts."

Yohji picked Ronin up by the scruff of his neck and dangled him. The little cat curled up instinctively, tail tucked up to its belly. "You're trouble," Yohji told him. "And you're going to get it big time when Aya-chan finds out you tried to run away."

"We don't have to tell her," Ran said.

Yohji raised an eyebrow. "You're planning on lying to her?"

"No. Just not telling her. It'll only worry her. You know how much she loves that stupid cat."

Yohji plonked Ronin back down on his chest, and the cat sprang back to life, batting Yohji's nose with his paw. "Cut it out!" Yohji batted back with a finger. "Ran, your sister's cat's attacking me."

"I expect you deserve it."

There was a smile on Ran's face. He looked… well, relaxed. For once. A smile crept onto Yohji's face too. He reached out a hand to catch Ran's, absentmindedly skritching Ronin between the ears with the other.

"He would have come home when he was hungry," Yohji said.

"I know," said Ran.

"So why the drama? You shot out of the cabin like there was a Takatori on the loose."

Ran frowned. "Don't even joke about that."

"Sorry. But still. You did."

"There's another storm on the way," Ran muttered, plucking a tuft of grass and sifting it through his fingers.

Yohji opened his mouth to ask Ran if he really cared so much that the cat didn't get wet, but thought better of it. "Ah."

They lay there for a moment, staring at the sky. At some point Yohji registered that it was cloudless, but he knew better than to mention it.

"Have you thought about what you're going to say to Omi?" Yohji asked, absentmindedly stroking Ronin's warm, soft fur.

"I… No."

"If you're too hard on them-"

"She'll hate me, or do something stupid like run away again, yes, I know."

"We told her there would be rules," said Yohji, watching Ran carefully.

"I know. And that makes me a hypocrite," said Ran.

"How come?"

Ran's eyes met him, a moment of heat and truth. "You and I have no rules," he said. The words shuddered down Yohji's spine.

"That's different," he said, his voice unexpectedly hoarse.

"Is it? How?"

"I hate to confess it, but we're older than they are, for one thing."

"Only by a couple of years."

"And more than a lifetime's experience," Yohji added darkly. "She needs boundaries. And Omi-"

"Omi can learn his fucking place," growled Ran.

Yohji laughed. Ran cast him a disapproving glance, but after a few moments of silence his hand snuck into Yohji's, and meshed their fingers together. Yohji felt suddenly and absurdly happy. And Ran looked happy, for the first time since he found out about Aya-chan and Omi. Yohji couldn't resist a happy Ran. He rolled over, dislodging Ronin from his chest, and straddled Ran's hips in one smooth move.

Ronin shook his furry self and took himself a foot or so off, where he found a nice, smooth, warm stone to sit on. Then he set about getting a thorough wash.

Yohji kissed Ran, threading his fingers through his hair, pressing his knees into Ran's sides. Ran moaned softly, the sort of moan that made Yohji's spine melt, and kissed him back.

Yohji rocked his hips, his rhythm matching their kiss. Ran moaned again, and slid cool hands up Yohji's back, under his shirt. His touch was soft, calm, teasing. Yohji rocked a little harder. The scent of grass and mountain flowers combined with the clean, manly smell of Ran's skin. Intoxicating.

"Yohji," Ran murmured, a long, deep drawl that made Yohji shiver with pleasure.

"Right here," Yohji said.

"I want..."

His hips jerked up, and Yohji pressed down to meet him. They ground together in a slow, sinful circle.

Yohji slipped a hand down between them. He had Ran's trousers undone in a second. His cock was hard as steel, and when Yohji touched it Ran arched his back and groaned. Loudly.

Yohji curled his fingers around it, and gave a few long, luxurious tugs.

Ran fumbled at Yohji's jeans, long fingers skillfully gaining access so he could return the favour. His thumb swept over the head of Yohji's cock, slick and firm and firing Yohji's delicate nerve endings so fast Yohji could hardly catch his breath.

"Perhaps we should have rules," Ran murmured.

"I don't see why," said Yohji. "It's not like we're out to corrupt anybody."

"Except each other," said Ran, with the tiniest of smiles, and suddenly Yohji was grinning foolishly and the moment felt the most perfect he'd ever known.

Ronin raised his little pink nose towards the sky and sniffed. There was the faintest hint of ozone. Storm coming. Weather changed fast on the mountain.

Ronin yawned and stretched. He nibbled Yohji's ankle bone, but Yohji just swore and half-heartedly kicked out his foot. Then he nuzzled closer into Ran's body.

And Ronin, fluffy tail held high, trotted through the grass for home.


	3. Sunshine

Ronin padded about from room to room, looking for a spot to sleep in. 

Aya-chan was far too fidgety to provide a suitably still lap. The door to Ran and Yohji's room was very firmly closed. The other two bedrooms were open, and had beds made up with fresh linen, soft quilts and pillows, but they were still too empty and chilly to be very appealing.

So Ronin finally settled on the living room. He trotted over to the nice thick rug in front of the fire, stretched luxuriously, turned around three times, curled up with his tail tucked neatly under his chin, and fell into a peaceful, happy doze.

*

Yohji awoke with a start, sharply aware of the aftershock of a stinging slap to his bare backside.

"Hey!"

"Nap's over. They're here." Ran was already dressed, his hand on the door knob. 

"Wait!" Yohji rolled out of bed and started to fumble for his jeans. "I'll come out with you!"

Ran was already gone. By the time Yohji arrived in the living room, buttoning his shirt and blinking blearily, an uncomfortable little tableau had formed.

Omi was smiling in a disconcerted sort of way, while Aya-chan gazed at him like a lovesick puppy, fidgeting from one foot to another. Ran glared. 

Ken, meanwhile, was oblivious, pulling off his motorcycle helmet and complaining about dead bugs messing up the visor.

Ronin trotted up to Yohji, weaving around his legs. Probably hungry.

"I've got some things to say to you," Ran said.

"I didn't do anything!" Ken protested. "I don't know what Manx said, but I didn't kill that cop!"

"Don't you have stuff to bring in?" Yohji interrupted. "Aya-chan, help Ken unload the bike."

"But-"

"It might rain," Yohji said.

"Go," said Ran. 

"Fine. Believe what you want to believe," Ken muttered darkly, and stomped outside. Aya-chan followed, casting worried glances at Omi.

"Please don't be harsh with him, Aya-kun," Omi said. "Kritiker already interrogated him and they gave him a really hard time. I honestly don't think he was the killer."

"I don't give a fuck about that," Ran said. "I wasn't even talking to him. I was talking to _you_. What have you been doing with my sister?"

Omi went pale. Yohji had never seen Omi go quite that pale. Not even when he found out his family were Takatori.

"Aya-kun?" Omi said, weakly.

"Aya-chan told us the two of you are dating," said Yohji, with a desperate look at Ran which Ran ignored. This wasn't quite what they'd planned, and Aya-chan and Ken would be back any moment. "Let's go have a chat somewhere a bit more private, shall we?"

Omi just nodded, and allowed himself to be herded into Yohji and Ran's room. 

"Well," said Yohji, closing the door behind him. Ronin clung to his leg, batting at the frayed hem of his jeans with one paw, doing serious damage to any gravitas Yohji might have wanted to inject into the situation. However, Ran was probably delivering enough gravitas to rule a small country, so perhaps it was for the best.

Omi backed towards the balcony windows, probably planning an escape route in case Ran produced his sword.

"If you hurt her," Ran said, slowly and clearly, "I will kill you."

Omi swallowed hard.

Yohji let that pass, not least because it was, quite simply, true. Omi must have known it from the moment the first salacious little thought about Aya-chan had slipped into his mind. But it wasn't strictly what Yohji and Ran had agreed to be the focus of this conversation. Yohji sat down on the bed, plucking Ronin from his foot and depositing him on the bed, where the little cat happily set about burrowing under the quilt in search of a warm spot. 

"There have to be rules," Yohji said. "Isn't that right, Aya?"

Ran didn't answer. He continued to scorch Omi with his most terrifying glare.

"Rules? Are you telling me to stay away from her?" There was a raw edge of desperation to Omi's voice.

Yohji stayed quiet. Permission was up to Ran, and the way he'd been behaving so far Yohji couldn't entirely trust him not to have had a change of heart.

"What would you do if I was?" Ran asked.

"I... Aya-kun, I-" Omi leaned back against the glass door. "This is all a bit of a shock. Um."

"You must have known we'd find out eventually," said Yohji.

"I wanted to tell you," Omi said. "Right from the start. I'm sorry, Aya-kun, Yohji-kun, but I love her very much."

Yohji watched Ran's face.

He glared at Omi for the longest time, and Omi stood his ground, eyes getting huger and wetter by the moment, until eventually Ran stepped back, blinked slowly, once, and folded his arms across his chest.

"Hn," he said.

Omi let out a long sigh.

"Rules," Yohji said. "We thought-"

"Protect her with your life," Ran said. "And if I ever, ever find you you've hurt her-"

"You'll kill me," said Omi. "Yes, I know."

"There's some other stuff," Yohji said. "Curfews and such."

"No sex," said Ran.

Omi gulped and nodded.

"I talked him into allowing a moderate amount of kissing," Yohji said apologetically. "So long as you keep it above the neck."

"Thanks," said Omi, weakly, and had the grace to blush.

Ran looked like he was having doubts again, so Yohji continued. "Tell us where you're taking her when you go out, and always have her back by ten-"

"Eight," Ran interjected.

"Eight on a school night," Yohji clarified. "Ten on weekends."

"Never be alone in her room with her." Ran said. "Or your room. Or-"

"Just be sensible, okay?" Yohji said. 

Omi nodded. He even dared a smile. "Thank you, Aya-kun. Yohji-kun."

Aya glared at him again.

"Good," said Yohji, cheerfully. "Shall we go and see if Ken's still sulking?"

Omi was suddenly all business, changing from nervous boyfriend to trained assassin in a disturbingly short time. "Right," he said. "What did Manx tell you?"

"That there was a problem with the mission," Ran said. "We all need to lay low for a while."

Omi nodded. "Ken got distracted."

Ran arched an eyebrow, and Yohji groaned. 

"He saw a policeman while we were waiting for the target and got nervous, so he knocked him out."

"That's not so bad," said Yohji. "A bit reckless, but by Ken's recent standards..."

"They found him dead later that night."

"Shit," said Yohji. 

"The news reports said it looked like he'd been mauled by some kind of animal with huge claws-"

"Stupid kid," Yohji muttered.

"-so I went to take a look at the body."

"And?" said Ran.

"It doesn't look like anything I've seen Ken's bugnucks do. Much thinner wounds, cutting rather than gouging. Incredibly sharp, just sliced through the skin and muscle."

"What does Ken say?" Yohji asked.

"He says he just grabbed the guy's baton and knocked him out with that. There were contusions on the back of the neck that support him: the autopsy suggested that the man's assailant struck him unconscious and then ripped him apart as an act of sadism."

"Oh, a Jack the Ripper," said Yohji. "Lovely."

"Or a Farfarello-the-Ripper," said Omi.

"Does Manx believe Ken?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter, anyway, the fact is that a major crime took place and we were in the area at around the same time. That's more than enough to get the police curious."

"Would anyone have noticed you, though?"

"I may be flattering myself, Yohji-kun" Omi said, "but I was standing under a streetlamp, wearing not very much, on one of the crusiest streets in Tokyo. So there's a good chance someone noticed me, yes."

That was the closest to irritated Yohji had ever known Omi to get. If he didn't know better he'd say Omi was scared. 

"There's not much we can do at the moment," Ran said. "We'll sit it out until we get orders."

"It might take a while for things to die down," Yohji said. "With it being a cop. They always take it seriously when it's one of their own."

"Yes," Ran agreed. "We might have to move on suddenly, so be prepared. Keep alert."

"Ken will be pleased you believe him," said Omi. 

"I didn't say I believe him," Ran said. "It doesn't make much difference either way."

Omi didn't say anything, just gave the slightest nod of his head, then broke out into a broad smile. "But we get a surprise vacation! It's been a long time since we got a vacation, isn't it? How are the hot springs?"

Yohji tried to catch Ran's eye, but he was very carefully looking the other way. "Hot," said Yohji, with a grin.

"Sounds great," said Omi. "I love hot springs."

"Not with Aya-chan," said Ran darkly.

"Of course not!" Omi beamed at him. "That wouldn't be proper."

His eyes were blue like the sky and innocent as puppies. 

Yohji had to credit him. He was good.

Too good.

*

The dinner table was very quiet that night.

Yohji thought back to other times, when the cabin was a refuge and meals were rare occasions to relax and enjoy themselves, away from the pressure of missions and the chaos of the flower shop. It didn't feel like that any more. Hadn't, really, since Neu. 

But this was worse even than that. 

Ran had somehow managed to arrange the seating, without saying a word, so that Aya-chan and Omi were at opposite ends of the oblong table, Yohji and Ken between them on one side, Aya on the other with an empty chair between him and Ken, upon which Ronin seemed to have snuck. 

Even the cat was looking somewhat uncomfortable, sitting still with his eyes mostly closed, probably hoping that if he didn't move no-one would notice he was sitting where he shouldn't. 

"Could you pass the rice please, Omi-kun?" said Aya-chan. Omi's face bloomed into a smile and he reached for the bowl. But Ran had already picked it up and passed it to his sister.

Aya-chan thanked him tersely.

Ken shovelled food into his mouth, glaring at his plate. 

Yohji sighed and bullied a small carrot with his fork. 

Finally Aya-chan broke the silence. "Could we go to the shrine in the mountains tomorrow? Kyoko she said she went with her family last year. It's supposed to be amazing."

"I'd love to go," beamed Omi. "What a great idea. Shall we all go, Aya-kun? Yohji-kun? Ken-kun?"

Ran glared, Ken snorted and Ronin took advantage of the diversion to settle down on his tummy, paws tucked neatly underneath his little furry body, and nibble at a bit of fish that had somehow fallen off the table right in front of him.

"Sounds good to me, chibi," said Yohji. 

Aya-chan smiled gratefully, and turned to Ran. "Ran? Please?"

"This isn't a vacation," Ran said. "We're supposed to be in hiding."

"Who from, exactly?" said Aya-chan, her eyes narrowing.

"Police," said Ken. "Because they're idiots."

Ran's chair scraped back from the table with a loud and unpleasant squeaking noise. "Ken. Outside. Now."

"But-"

Ken looked up and met Ran's eyes, and any intention to argue evaporated. He set down his fork and got up. "Excuse me," he said, mostly to Aya-chan, and followed Ran outside.

Yohji and the others could hear the rumble of Ran's voice even through the closed door. Omi winced.

"You remember the guy who kidnapped you?" Yohji said to Aya-chan.

"Schuldig? The one who shot Omi-kun? Of course I do!"

"He and his friends have been causing trouble." Omi raised an eyebrow, but Yohji gave him a quick look, and he diverted his attention swiftly back to his plate. 

"So we're hiding from them?" said Aya-chan.

"In a sort of indirect way, yes. It's nothing to worry about. We just need to be inconspicuous for a while. That's why Ran's being a bit cautious about going to the shrine."

"But it's just an ordinary tourist trip, in broad daylight. Surely there couldn't be any harm in that?"

"I'll ask your brother," Yohji said, wishing that one pleading look from Aya-chan wasn't quite enough to make him her slave. "But I'll pick my moment. I'll get him when he's blissed out and mellow."

He knew the precise moment when Aya-chan realised what that meant Yohji would be doing to Ran, because she blushed to her roots. 

The door opened, and Ken slouched back to his chair, followed by the still-glaring Ran. 

They finished their meal in silence.

*

Yohji rubbed body lotion into the dry skin on his elbows and hands, watching Ran out of the corner of his eye. This was partly because he kept expecting Ran to pass comment. It was only fairly recently that Yohji had taken the risk of letting Ran in on his bed-time routine. But the accusations of vanity never came; Yohji pottered around the bedroom in his boxer shorts while Ran stared venomously at his book.

Yohji pondered the notion of breaking the silence himself, but decided against it. Ran had been in a foul mood ever since dinner, and Yohji didn't want to end up sleeping on the couch. 

Satisfied that his hair was perfect and his skin suitably moisturised, Yohji plucked a trashy detective novel from his travel bag and joined Ran in bed.

Even with Ran in a temper, there was something very comfortable and companionable about sitting in bed with him like this. Yohji enjoyed it thoroughly for the two minutes it lasted before Ran sighed a sigh so deep and tortured that Yohji couldn't help himself any more.

"It'll be okay," he said, as blandly as he could, not sure exactly which of his furies Ran was currently contemplating.

"She's too young," Ran said. 

"You can't go back on it now. We made a deal with her."

"What if she's sneaking into his room right now?" Ran looked horrified, the thought just occurred to him, and was halfway out of bed, presumably on his way to check, when Yohji grabbed his arm and hauled him back.

"No," Yohji said. "We have to trust her."

"But I want to go and see if I _can_ trust her," Ran said, reasonably. "She doesn't have to know, unless she's doing something wrong."

Yohji couldn't resist a smile. "Trust doesn't work that way, and you know it."

His hand was still on Ran's arm, stroking. Ran's eyes narrowed. "You mean like I have to trust you when you go to nightclubs on missions?"

Yohji swallowed down an indignant yelp. "Yes. Exactly like that."

Ran considered this for a moment. "Alright then," he said, finally.

Yohji relaxed a little, nestling back into his comfortable pile of pillows.

"You go instead," Ran said. He was smirking.

"What? No! That's the same thing!" Yohji paused, and examined the smirk more closely. "Are you winding me up? Ran?"

"Not entirely." Ran picked his book up again.

"But you-"

"Oh, you can stay where you are. There's no need to go spying on her."

"Well, good. I'm glad to hear it." Yohji opened up his own book.

"She might be willing to confide in you, though."

Ran was always far more sneaky than Yohji gave him credit for. 

"Alright," Yohji said. "I'll make sure I'm available, in case she feels the need to do any confiding."

Ran seemed content to call that a plan. He adjusted his reading glasses to sit halfway along his nose (which looked adorable) and turned his attention properly to his book.

Yohji, however, found it difficult to concentrate on reading. Partly this was because of Ran's conspicuous proximity: the soft silk of his pyjamas; the warmth of his body; the scent of his shampoo; all of which were very pleasantly distracting. But even more than that, there was a thought buzzing around in Yohji's head that he couldn't quite get rid of.

"Why now?" he said, startling himself with the sound of his own voice in the quiet.

"Pardon?"

"Aya-chan, her hand healing like that. It's ages since they did all those experiments on her. If it's a side-effect, why would it show up now?"

"I'm not sure. Some kind of delayed reaction?"

Ronin jumped down from the window-sill and padded over to the bed. He nuzzled his way to Yohji's hand, and head-butted his knuckles until Yohji had no choice but to pet him.

"When they kidnapped her, they were looking for the fountain of eternal youth," Ran said. "We know she ages at far below the normal rate. Regenerative powers are probably part of the same thing."

He joined Yohji in petting Ronin; their fingers met in a mass of deep, velvety fur.

"But why now? Why all of a sudden? Something must have triggered it."

Ran acknowledged the point with a grim nod. "I don't want Kritiker to know about it yet. I'll tell Omi to do some research."

Yohji smiled to himself. If Ran was willing to entrust Omi with such an important job, things couldn't be so very dreadful after all.

Ronin waddled off to the bottom of the bed and curled each leg underneath himself in turn. He purred loudly, regarding Yohji through eyes slitted in perfect contentment.

Yohji found his fingers entwined with Ran's, still stroking.

"I can't shake off this feeling," Ran said, soft and serious. "There's something wrong about all this. It has Schwartz written all over it. And Schuldig kidnapped her. He'd do it again without a second thought. You know he would."

"We'll protect her," Yohji said firmly. "They won't catch us with our guard down again, not ever."

Ran's fingers squeezed his.

"Let Omi work his magic. We'll guard Aya-chan. Ken can... well, let's put Ken in a wig and a dress and he can be a decoy."

Ran stuttered out a laugh.

"He'd look good in a sailor suit," Yohji observed.

"Don't be ridiculous, Kudoh." 

Ran smiled at him, hair shining under the muted light from the bedside lamps. Yohji touched it, always so soft and silky. He leaned in a little closer and captured Ran's mouth in a kiss.

Ran's eyes fluttered shut and his arm snuck its way around Yohji's waist, holding him close. 

"Mmm," said Yohji. "You taste good. Is that a new brand of toothpaste?"

"Idiot. You know it's not. You packed it yourself."

"I'm re-introducing some mystery to our relationship. Giving you some first-date lines."

"I always thought your lines would be better than that."

Yohji looked a little hurt. "Well, you do taste good."

"I suppose we never had a first date." Ran spoke the word 'date' as if it was something rare and exotic, a thing of myth and legend.

"I suppose not. Although we did see a movie that night."

"With Omi and Ken sitting between us," said Ran, stroking Yohji's arm. "And we left before the end."

"That happens when you're stalking a target. Takes all the romance out of a date, stalking." Yohji was surprised and flattered that Ran remembered so much. 

"It was work," Ran said firmly.

"Sure. Until..."

_Until they were hiding in the back of the getaway car Kritiker had provided, covered in coats and blankets while Ken drove and Omi navigated over the radio. Aya smelled of rain and damp wool, and Yohji could barely breathe. They were pressed so close he could feel every buckle on Aya's many-buckled coat, every button, every zip. But most of all, because Aya's coat had fallen open and a dip in the road tossed them even closer together, Yohji felt Aya's hard-on pressed against his thigh._

_And then he _knew_, and Aya knew he knew, and there was no point pretending any more. Aya had no point of protest when Yohji kissed him. Wild and furious and desperate, Aya had kissed him back. Months of very carefully not touching, and suddenly they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Clothing was wrenched open, skin was bared and hands groped for hard, hot cock. They jerked each other off right there under the blankets while Ken drove and Omi directed him. By the time the car drew up outside the safe house they were sticky with sweat and come and delirious, feverish with lust._

_They took the first room they found and locked the door behind them. Didn't even bother to treat Ken and Omi to the charade of hanging around and acting normal. _

_Neither of them slept that night. Dawn found them sprawled out on the bed, white sheets twisted around weary limbs. They were kissing lazily, spent and warm and done but not ready - nowhere near ready - to actually stop._

_And the rest, pretty much, was history._

"What?" said Ran. "You've glazed over."

"I was thinking," Yohji said, his thumb casting smoothly along Ran's cheekbone. "I'm such a fool. I've been in love with you for the longest time."

The corner of Ran's mouth twitched and he touched Yohji's hair. "Good," he said. "If you were in love with someone else I'd have to kill the bastard."

"Would you really?" Yohji grinned.

"Yes. I'd kill him _first_."

"Oh. Well. Good. I love you. Just you. To be perfectly clear on that point. Um."

Ran kissed him.

Ran's mouth was warm, his kiss soft, his tongue firm as it wriggled between Yohji's lips, flicked at his teeth. Yohji nipped at it, felt Ran smile. So sexy. Yohji's cock stretched lazily back to life, sated one minute, aching for action the next. Ran's kiss was firmer now, a slow, pulsing rhythm. Yohji's hands left the relative safety of Ran's shoulders and began to roam. One found Ran's thigh through the thin summer blanket. Ran gave a little gasp.

"Not just me then," Yohji breathed.

"No. Not just you." Ran smiled again.

Yohji's fingers found bare skin at Ran's waist, Ran squirming a little, as if it tickled. Yohji explored smooth skin inch by tantalising inch. Familiar landmarks: curves, muscle, faint scars. Yohji deftly popped buttons and slid the shirt over Ran's left shoulder, kissing the ridge of his collarbone, licking his way to Ran's neck. He found the sensitive spot just below his jaw and teased it with soft sweeps of lips and tongue. 

Ran moaned, pressing into Yohji's touch.

"I want to fuck you," Yohji whispered. "Would you like that?"

Ran nodded. Yohji kissed him, tugging him around so he could slide a hand down his back to shove at his pyjama bottoms. Ran moved obligingly to help as Yohji pulled, careful to let Ran's cock bounce free without snagging on harsh elastic. Ran wriggled himself out of the soft fabric, spreading his legs a little, pulling Yohji in for another kiss. Yohji knelt between Ran's thighs and got a hand to his cock.

Ran smiled at him, rocking steadily in his palm. 

Yohji's mind flooded with possibilities. With Ran's whole body to play with, he could think of a million ways to bring them both pleasure. Even narrowing it down according to the accessories within reach left him spoiled for choice. Ran could be quite bendy, after all.

But somehow, as Yohji pressed his lips to Ran's again, and felt his lover arch warmly into his touch, the hows of things didn't seem to matter quite so much. They'd had enough complication for one day. Yohji just wanted the warmth and comfort of Ran's body. And, okay, to get off. To fill him with come, hot, thick come, pulsing deep inside-

"Lube," Yohji hissed urgently. "Where's the lube?"

"Under the pillow. You want me to....?"

"No, I've got it. Just stay there, okay?"

Ran watched with some amusement as Yohji traversed the several inches across the bed to Ran's pillow. He rummaged around a bit and then finally with a triumphant "got it!" he rolled back to Ran's side.

"Now then," Yohji said. "C'mere."

Ran watched as Yohji uncapped the tube and slicked a single finger. He pulled Ran in close so that he could reach around, pausing to tickle the soft hairs right in the small of Ran's back, making him squirm a bit before continuing his journey. He pressed that one lubed finger against Ran's hole. Soft and pliant. Ready for him. Yohji stroked around in circles, relishing every one of Ran's panted breaths. He slipped his finger inside, just a little way, and Ran shivered. Yohji kissed his hair, pressed his hip against Ran's insistent hard-on. He began a slow, shallow finger-fuck.

"I need more," Ran whispered. "More, Yohji, please."

"You'll have to move, love, so I can reach you better."

Ran gave a little moan and wriggled out of Yohji's arms to kneel on all fours on the bed, arse in the air, pure temptation. Yohji squeezed more lube onto his fingers, then dropped the tube onto the bed. He put his dry hand flat on Ran's lower back, steady and reassuring, then worked two fingers inside Ran's hole. Hot. Soft. Quivering and clutching at his fingers. Yohji slid them in and out, setting up a rhythm to match the subtle rocking of Ran's hips. 

"You feel so good," Yohji said. "I can't wait to get my cock inside you."

"So don't wait," said Ran. His cheeks were flushed.

"But this feels good too."

Ran looked over his shoulder, eyes hooded, dark with lust. "As good?"

"Never," said Yohji, reaching hastily for the lube.

A smug sort of smile appeared on Ran's face, and he wiggled his backside. 

Oh God.

Yohji's hand shook as he flipped the lube open again, this time using a generous blob to anoint his cock. He quickly slicked it over his heated skin, took a breath and lined himself up. Ran's hole gave a little at the pressure, welcoming him in. Yohji braced himself with one hand locked on Ran's hip, while the other grasped his cock, guiding.

Ran's skin was soft, and pale, and perfect; his hair spilled forwards into his face, making him blink. Yohji could smell him, musky and male and complicated. 

"Fuck me, Kudoh."

Yohji didn't need to be told twice. He pushed his way in, watching his dick disappear inch by inch into Ran's body. He paused once the head was in, taking in every detail of the way it stretched Ran's skin. He ran a wet finger around the join between his cock and Ran's body. Ran was breathing hard. He shoved back, and Yohji slid all the way inside.

Ran grunted, acknowledgement of the way Yohji had stuffed him full. Yohji stroked him, from the crown of his head, down his hair, his shoulder, his back - his beautiful, lean, strong back - and over the sweeping curves of his buttocks. Then he started to move. Slowly at first, long strokes, holding Ran firmly by the hips, watching himself slide in and out, in and out... Ran's breath was coming fast, and his fingers clenched in the sheets. Long strands of red hair clung to his damp forehead, to his cheek. Yohji paused for a moment to stroke it back, and Ran turned his head quickly to suck Yohji's fingers into his mouth. 

Yohji watched, pumping faster. Harder. He was getting close. No way he could last with Ran doing that. Yohji saw Ran's wet, pink tongue dart out to lick his own lips, and could barely keep from coming on the spot. 

He reached around and took hold of Ran's cock. It fitted so well in his hand. Rock hard and wet at the tip, it throbbed in a very satisfying way when Yohji squeezed it. 

He tried to focus on Ran's pleasure, on the slip of his palm over hard dick, on hitting Ran with just the angle he knew his lover liked best, but it was too much, and Yohji found himself spurting helplessly, filling Ran's ass with hot, sticky come. Couldn't help it. Wanted it. Loved it. And when he was done, still panting from the effort of fucking and coming, he pulled out and almost threw himself on the bed, sliding under Ran's body to take his cock in his mouth. Ran surged forwards, waiting - just barely - until Yohji had taken a decent breath before he started to fuck Yohji's wet, willing mouth.

"Kudoh.... so.... gnhh...."

Ran's come was thick and tasted vaguely of strawberries. Yohji swallowed it down eagerly, as much for the look on Ran's face as anything. Incredulity laced with just enough gratitude that Yohji melted inside. 

They collapsed in an untidy heap, a tangle of limbs, Yohji's head squished under Ran's belly, oblivious to the discomfort, at least for a little while. Then Ran started to make complaining noises, so Yohji shoved him over onto his back and wriggled free. He half-fell, half-rolled off the bed, hauled himself upright and went to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, wiped down and safely arranged under the sheets, Yohji let Ran tuck his head into Ran's shoulder, and listened to the slow, smooth count of Ran's breath. 

"We should go," he said, very softly.

"Go where?" Ran yawned.

"The shrine. All of us. We can't stay cooped up here forever. We'll go stir-crazy, and that's never good."

"Oh," said Ran.

"I'll watch Ken, you watch Omi. It'll be fine."

"Aya-chan," Ran whispered, with another yawn. "It's Aya-chan I'll need to...."

And he was asleep.

Yohji smiled a sleepy smile to himself. He was happy to call that a victory, for now.

*

Schuldig flopped into the window seat and stared out at the endless mountainside. It was quiet. Too quiet: the only minds Schuldig could touch were those of his team-mates and he tried not to do that unless he had to. It was usually disturbing, to say the least. "Why don't we ever go to the beach?" he said. "Somewhere nice, like the Mediterranean. Or the Caribbean. We could take a cruise," he continued wistfully. "On a deep blue ocean."

"All those inane rich minds would drive you mad in a matter of hours," said Crawford.

"And you'd still be complaining," said Nagi, without even looking up from his laptop.

"Juicy," said Farfarello, for reasons no-one felt the urge to investigate.

"So we get to chase Weiß around the mountains," said Schuldig. "That's not a vacation. It's tedious and futile."

"I thought they were your favourite toys these days," said Crawford. "Or is it only Balinsese you're interested in?"

Schuldig turned away. "I'm bored of them now. Why can't we find someone new and shiny?"

"Actually, if you'd stop jumping to conclusions for a moment and listen, this isn't about Weiß at all. They just happen to be around to make things interesting."

"Kitties in the way?" Farfarello ran his tongue along a deadly, thin spike.

"Not really," said Crawford.

"Oh." Schuldig felt perversely disappointed.

"Are they competing for the same prize as us?" asked Nagi.

"No," said Crawford. 

"Why are they here, if not to get in the way?" asked Farfarello. He looked disappointed too, thought Schuldig. Or at least… not happy.

"I don't know. Doing whatever it is they do, I suppose. Assassinating people. Fighting the good fight. It's none of our concern."

"They're laying low," said Schuldig. "Because Farfie here got knife-happy and Siberian got the blame for it. Tsk, Crawford, I would have thought you'd have seen that. Lenses to the future a little misty, are they?"

"That's enough." Crawford pushed his glasses smoothly up his long, elegant nose. "Don't any of you want to know what we _are_ here for?"

Schuldig smiled to himself. It wasn't often Crawford got wound up enough to let his shields down properly. But underneath the irritation was a layer of excitement like a little boy at Christmas. 

"There's power in the mountain," Schuldig said. "And you want it."

Crawford looked gratifyingly startled for a second, but made an admirable recovery. "Yes. And it's growing by the minute."

"The volcano's not going to erupt, is it?"

"No, it's not going to erupt," said Crawford. "It's a mystical type of power."

"Mystical power? Are you having me on?"

Crawford gave a long-suffering sigh. "Have you ever thought about your powers at all, Schuldig? Wondered where they came from? Anything?"

"Cursed by gypsies," said Schuldig. "So what? It's not what you've got, it's what you do with it that matters."

Crawford's glasses glinted in the sunlight. "So blind. So ignorant."

"Okay. So the mountain has power. How do we get some?"

"The prophecies suggest that there will be a cataclysmic event."

"So the fucker _is_ going to erupt."

"No," said Crawford. "It isn't."

"But you don't know what the cataclysmic event is, exactly."

A flash of irritation crossed Crawford's face.

"I can see a mystical cave near a shrine," he said.

"There's that word again."

There was a thud as Farfarello threw a dagger at the door; it sank into the wood a satisfying inch or two and stuck there, vibrating with the impact. "I'm bored. Can we go and torture Weiß now?"

"For once I agree with you," said Schuldig. 

He expected Crawford to crack the whip and bring them both into line. But he didn't. Looking distant and pre-occupied he studied the map he'd spread out on the coffee table, like he'd been doing for hours.

"We shall go in the back way," he announced, pointing to a fine dotted line on the map. 

"Always the servant's entrance," said Schuldig, with a sigh.

*

The journey to the shrine was as frosty as the mountain peak that towered above them. Ran had said barely a word to Omi; Aya-chan was cross because her every attempt to walk at Omi's side was thwarted by her glaring brother; Ken was mad because Ran had refused to let him stay behind alone in the cabin to watch a football game on TV; and Yohji was sulking because the others had insisted on walking all the way from the cabin, when there was a perfectly serviceable road you could drive cars on which would take you practically to the foot of the shrine. 

All things considered, they were not a happy band. 

After an eternity of walking and a climb of two hundred steps, they finally arrived. 

"Great," said Aya-chan. "We're here. Can we go back now?"

Ran's eyes narrowed dangerously. "This was your idea, Aya."

"Yep. And now we've been. Let's go home. It's not much fun after all."

The two Fujimiyas glared at each other. Ken wandered off to intently study an information board. Yohji hung back: there was no reasoning with either with them when they got like this. But to his surprise, Omi stepped forwards.

"Aya-chan," said Omi, softly. "It's very good of Aya-kun to bring us here, and it is a shrine. We should be respectful, don't you think?"

Yohji winced.

"Keep out of this." Ran growled.

"Don't tell me what to do!" spat Aya-chan.

Omi paled somewhat.

"Come on, Omi," Yohji said. "Let's go see what we climbed all those stairs for, eh? These two can stare at each other until we're done."

Omi nodded eagerly. He was a very brave young man, no doubt about it. But it took a man of solid steel to resist a Fujimiya glare. Yohji should know.

"They'll be alright," Yohji said, putting a reassuring arm around Omi's shoulders. "Just give them a bit of space, eh?"

"Yes," said Omi. "Is it… I mean… do you often find…"

"Only occasionally," said Yohji. "You get used to it."

They went to the information board where Ken was standing. 

"Hi," said Ken. "Have they killed each other yet?"

"I haven't heard any screaming," said Yohji. 

"That's a bonus," said Ken. "Hey, there's a cave down that path there. It's supposed to have magic, or something. They do tours." He waggled his fingers, wizard-like. "Fancy taking a look?"

Omi glanced anxiously over his shoulder, towards Aya-chan and Ran. "Thanks, but I think I should…"

Yohji put an arm firmly around Omi's shoulders and steered him towards the path. "Excellent idea, Ken," he said. "Lead the way."

*

"What does all this writing mean?" Yohji peered at the sketchy carvings in the cave wall and wondered, briefly and with horror, whether he needed reading glasses.

"It's Greek," Omi said.

"It tells of a time of great chaos and cruelty in the world," said Ken. "When man will seek the wisdom of the Oracle."

"Since when did you read ancient greek?" said Yohji.

"It's in the leaflet, moron." Ken waved a glossy three-fold under Yohji's nose.

"Oracle…." Omi traced his fingers over the strange letters. "That's what they call Crawford, from Schwartz."

There were footsteps behind them; long shadows were cast in the dimly lit cavern. 

"What do they call him?" Ran stood in full Abyssinian stance in the cave entrance, every bit as menacing as when he was on a mission, despite being dressed in a soft green sweater and jeans. Yohji wouldn't have been surprised if he'd managed to produce a katana from somewhere. 

Aya-chan wriggled around her brother, elbowing him sharply in the ribs on her way, and the Ran lost a good deal of his menace.

"The Oracle," Yohji said. "Apparently that's what all these squiggles are about."

"It says it's a prophecy of a prophecy," Ken said. "That's kind of stupid."

"Superstition," said Ran.

"There used to be a wise woman who lived here in olden times," Ken said. "She could foresee the future. It was said that the heavens cracked open and wisdom poured down, and she saw all of history laid out before her."

"That would be scary," said Yohji.

"Do you suppose that's what it's like for Crawford?" Aya-chan asked. The cave was dark and somehow her hand had found Omi's. Yohji surreptitiously positioned himself so Ran couldn't see. 

"He only gets flashes," Ran said.

"Enough to be handy in a fight, though," said Ken.

"I wouldn't want to live here," said Omi. "It's very small."

Yohji recognised a subject change when he saw one. Of course they weren't supposed to discuss missions or their enemies with Aya-chan. It surprised him a little that it was Omi who had recognised and subtly enforced the rule, though.

Ken squinted at the small print on the leaflet. "Actually, this is just the entrance of a bigger cave system. Most of it's blocked off now by a rock fall." He scanned the walls, running his hand over the stone. "There, you can see it, in that corner."

Yohji peered into the gloom: Ken was right. There was a crack in the wall at the rear of the cave, packed floor to ceiling with rubble.

"Ooh, I'd love to go in there," said Aya-chan. "Let's come back when they're closed, and tunnel through!"

"You'll do no such thing!" Ran snapped.

Aya-chan laughed and gave him an affectionate hug. "You're so gullible, Ran. Remember that time I told you there was a ghost in the attic and sent you to look?"

Ran shifted uncomfortably.

"Did you faint?" Yohji asked. "Like with the frog?"

"What frog?" said Ken.

"No," said Ran. "It was nothing like that."

"It wa-" Aya-chan started, but she must have caught sight of Ran's glare, because she stopped and tailed off, lamely, "-you had to be there."

"But what about the frog?" said Ken.

"The frog is none of your business," said Ran, coldly. "Isn't it time to go to the shrine?"

*

It had been a long afternoon.and Yohji was realising now, too late, that if they'd left straight after paying their respects at the shrine, they could have been back at the cabin (more specifically, he and Ran could be back in the hot springs) by now. But instead Omi had suggested they go on the cave tour.

Yohji leaned back against the rough stone of the cave and yawned. 

They'd been shown a few tunnels and a very pretty cavern full of interesting rock formations (one of which had totally looked like a pair of breasts, whatever Ran said). Now they were back in the entrance cave, while the guide rambled on about the composition of the rock. Omi, Aya-chan and Ken were listening attentively along with the rest of the tourists, gathered around the guide a few feet away from where Yohji had sloped off to. Aya-chan's arm was looped through Omi's and their heads were close together, almost touching.

Ran stood at Yohji's side, glowering.

"Steady, Tiger." Yohji surreptitiously slipped his hand into Ran's. "They're not going to get up to anything much in broad daylight with an audience of businessmen and young children, are they?"

Ran didn't answer, but he looked skeptical.

Yohji gave a heavy sigh. He may be the Fujimiya's number one fan, but shit, they were hard work sometimes.

"Nice cave," whispered Yohji.

Ran looked at him as though he were mad.

"There's strata." Yohji pointed vaguely in the direction of the wall. "Lovely, lovely strata. And minerals. I'm pretty sure that guy said-"

"Shut up, Kudoh." But Aya sounded more affectionate than angry. He squeezed Yohji's hand.

"How long's he going to drone on for, do you think? I'm dying for a cigarette."

"Use some self-discipline."

"Self discipline, eh?"

"Yes. It's when-"

"You want to see some self-discipline? Watch and learn, Fujimaya."

Yohji turned his attention back to the tour guide, a look of studious concentration carefully composed on his face. He even nodded sagely when the guy said something about gas pockets.

Ran mumbled something under his breath.

"Shh!" Yohji hissed. "I'm practising self-discipline here! See? Perfectly in control."

"I didn't say anything."

"What?"

"I didn't say anything. I was counting how many minutes until you lost interest in your little game." Ran consulted his watch. "Forty-five seconds."

"No! I heard…."

And there it was again, a voice. Too soft to make out the words, but clearly a voice, and this time definitely not Ran, unless he'd secretly mastered the art of ventriloquism. 

Actually, Yohji wouldn't put that past him.

"I can hear someone," he whispered, pressing his ear to the stone wall behind them. "Through there."

Ran raised an eyebrow.

"Listen!"

"You're hearing voices in the rock?"

Sometimes, thought Yohji, Ran could be terribly slow. "Just _listen_."

Ran gave Yohji a long-suffering look, but pressed his ear to the cave wall just the same.

His eyes widened.

"See?" said Yohji, triumphantly.

"It must be some kind of echo."

"Echo of what? The only sounds in here apart from us are coming from him." Yohji jerked a thumb in the direction of the tour guide, who helpfully proved Yohji right by moving the tour on, towards a display near the exit.

But the voices from the wall continued, a soft, melodic rumble of unintelligible conversation.

"There must be another room through there," Yohji said.

"Perhaps a secondary cave system." Aya wouldn't actually say he was wrong - Yohji knew better than to expect it - but Yohji allowed himself a smirk of victory nonetheless.

"I can't make out what they're saying," said Yohji, pressing his ear closer to the wall.

"Yohji!"

The group were waiting at the exit, the Guide looking meaningfully in their direction.

"As I was saying," the Guide said, "We are about to progress to the exterior."

"Ah, sorry," said Yohji with an apologetic smile. "Got carried away looking at the, um, strata. Fascinating."

Aya-chan snorted, barely containing her amusement.

"Are there any more caves that are still intact?" Ran asked, falling into step beside the Guide. "Beyond this one, perhaps?"

"Some say there are. It is said that long, long ago there were other chambers, leading deep into the mountain. It is said that a woman lived here, a witch, some said, or a healing woman. Others said she made sinister pacts with the devils. It was said that she could foretell the future: many came in search of answers, predictions, advice. Some worshipped here, bringing her offerings of money and food. Legend has it that the villagers turned against her and caused a mighty rockfall, sealing her forever in her cave. Some say her ghost lives there still, eternally hungry and alone, wailing pitifully through the night."

A little girl in the crowd burst into tears; her mother scooped her up in her arms and comforted her, glaring at the Guide.

"It's just a tale," the Guide said. "A silly story, nothing else. Now, let's go outside and look at those mineral deposits I was telling you about…"

The crowd followed the guide out of the cave and Ran turned to go with them, but Yohji tugged at his arm, spinning him around, and kissed him. Just a peck at first, and then, once he'd got Ran's attention, a full-on mouth-to-mouth knee-trembler. Soft and sensual and just enough tongue to set Ran's spine to jelly. 

By the time Yohji pulled back, they were alone. Ran stared at him. His lower lip sparkled, wet from Yohji's tongue.

Yohji opened his mouth to explain, but didn't get a chance before Ran grabbed him, shoved him back against the wall and started to ravish him.

"I… wanted… to… get… left… behind…" Yohji stammered out between frenzied kisses. "So we could… investig… ate."

Ran's eyes shone. "I know."

"You're being very convincing."

Out of nowhere, Ran palmed Yohji's erection through his jeans. "You too."

And then the touch was gone; Ran had moved away, and Yohji stumbled back against the wall, abandoned and bereft.

"Guh?" he managed, scrabbling around for some kind of coherent thought.

"Hurry up," said Ran. "We won't have long before they come back."

He had one ear pressed up against the cave wall where they'd heard the noises, brow furrowed in concentration. Yohji couldn't have cared less about anything other than getting Ran home where he could be properly fucked. But he had to admit this cave business was intriguing, if nowhere near as intriguing as the contents of Ran's jeans.

"There's two voices," Ran said. "One male and one female."

Yohji joined him at the wall, listening intently. "Young," he said. "Teenagers, maybe?"

"Can't make out what they're saying."

"Me neither."

The crunch of footsteps heralded the return of the Guide with his tourists in tow. Yohji grabbed Ran quickly and resumed the kissing.

Ran's arms wound around Yohji's waist, but he quickly broke the kiss and made an alarmingly good job of looking coy and embarrassed at the Guide's interruption. Yohji attempted nonchalance, but it as wasted; apart from a barely-supressed giggle from Aya-chan, no-one else seemed to have noticed.

"And that concludes our tour," the Guide said. "If you would be so kind as to make your way back to the entrance area, you will find some interesting displays and a donation box. The caves will, however, be closing for the evening very soon. Thank you for your attention."

There was a polite round of applause, and the crowd began to disperse. Yohji reluctantly followed Ran from the cave. 

"Honestly, you two," said Aya-chan as they made their way back outside. "I can't take you anywhere!"

"I have no idea what you mean, Princess," said Yohji. 

Aya-chan giggled. "Kudoh, you're not fooling anyone. We're heading back now. You two coming?"

"I'm not sure. Hey, Ran. We could watch the sunset, if you like." Yohji waggled his eyebrows meaningfully at him.

Confusion only wrinkled Ran's brow for a second before he caught on. "Kudoh you're such a-"

"Romantic?" Yohji suggested.

"I was going to say idiot," said Ran.

"Well, I think it's adorable," said Aya-chan. "Just make sure you don't fall down the mountain when it gets dark, okay? We'll save you dinner."

She gave them each a hug before she ran to join Omi and Ken, who had already started their way down the steps. Yohji hesitated, left with the distinct impression that Aya-chan had somehow got away with something. 

"Ken had better be a good chaperone," Ran said, darkly.

"Omi wouldn't dare try anything," Yohji replied, keeping his suspicions to himself. He took a breath and looked out across the mountains; the view was actually pretty spectacular. "It does look like it's going to be a rather beautiful sunset, you know."

Ran gave him a withering glare, but there was something else there, something soft, and somehow Yohji didn't feel in the least bit rejected.

"One question," Yohji said. "How are we going to find the entrance to this cave, if everyone else is so certain it doesn't exist? It could be miles away."

"That's true. It could even be underground."

"We're not going potholing, are we? Only it seems like an awful lot of effort, and I'm not good with all those slimy passages and murky depths. Although, I do look good in a wet-suit."

"No potholing. For one thing, the nearest underground river system is at least twenty miles north of here."

"Right. I'm glad you're here to point these things out. See, this is why you're the Leader."

Ran gave him another withering look.

"I have another suggestion," Yohji offered.

"Let's hear it."

"If the entrance _isn't_ underground, if it's near here, and that's how those kids got in, there will be tracks. Footprints, disturbance of flora and fauna…"

"I know what tracks are, Yohji. Actually, that's not a bad idea."

Yohji beamed. "Detective training. Can't beat it in a crisis."

"Except if there's a crack in the mountain near here, someone would have noticed it."

"Mountains change all the time. There's earthquakes every few days. So a crack opens up, a couple of teenagers happen upon it, find somewhere to make a secret den…"

But Ran shook his head. "Too much of a co-incidence."

"Hmm. Well… the Guide said that people used to come to worship the witch before she got bricked in, right? To ask her questions and shit?"

"Yes, that's true."

"So there would have been a path up here from the village."

"The only path up here is the one we used."

"Only the path doesn't go to the cave where we were: that was just a track. The path goes straight to the shrine."

Ran frowned. "You're saying there's an entrance to the cave from the shrine?"

"Think about it! This mad old woman lives in the caves, and she wants to protect her home from rampaging mobs of villagers. So she lives down there and gets her visions or whatever, but there's this other part where she used to hold her audience and people used to bring her offerings," said Yohji. "The witch dies but people keep coming to give her stuff. Over the years people forget about the witch and it's just another place to honour their ancestors. And the secret entrance to the cave is lost. People think the way in was that other cave, with the rubble, but that's just a co-incidence! The door's been right there in the shrine the whole time!"

Ran gave him a little smile, the sort that made him look about ten years old and mischievous as hell.

"Oh God," Yohji muttered, and tugged Ran in close. "Oh, God." He kissed him, taking advantage of Ran's surprise to bend him over his arm a little, all but dipping him. Ran made a squeaking noise but soon recovered, twisting his fingers in Yohji's hair and returning the kiss with a heat and passion that stole Yohji's brain entirely. He twirled his tongue around Ran's, nibbled his lower lip, breathing hard. A hand found its way inside Ran's sweater and up to a nipple before Ran even thought to object. 

"Yohji," he managed eventually, breathless. "Not now."

There was just enough of an echo of Abyssinian in his voice that Yohji took him at his word, released Ran and stepped back.

"Soon," Yohji promised, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 

"Soon," said Ran, with a little smile. "But first, the shrine."

"Lead the way," said Yohji.

*

Yohji wasn't sure what to expect, exactly - a suspicious gap in the wall, perhaps, or a doorway made of fake rubble - but the reality was thoroughly disappointing. The small wooden shrine sat in an alcove that had been carved smoothly out of the mountainside.

"Now what?" he asked Ran.

"The walls look solid."

"And the floor's perfectly-raked gravel. Or it was, until we trampled all over it."

"The floor! Of course!"

"What?"

Ran was on his knees, examining the top step in front of the shrine. "There!"

"Where? What?"

"Right here! It's loose. Quick, we need to move this."

"Well, I'm sorry, Fujimaya-sama, I forgot to bring my lifting equipment on this little expedition."

Ran's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Yohji got down on his knees and curled his fingers around the stone slab. Ran was right, it was loose. With no more than a firm tug it came loose. They lifted it to one side, revealing a layer of moss and gravel, and a few very irritated bugs squirming at the edges who clearly thought of that slab as their ceiling.

"Just a loose step?" said Ran.

"I don't think so. This part in the middle looks far too… tidy." Yohji swept away the gravel and debris with his hands, and quickly revealed something quite different underneath. Something wooden, with hinges and a large round latch. 

A thrill of excitement coursed through Yohji's body. "Trap door," he said. 

Ran looked over his shoulder. "It looks _new_."

"Yeah. It's not very well buried, either. I'd say this has been in use a lot more recently than you'd expect."

Ran cast a final look down the path to check that they wouldn't be interrupted. "Quick. Open it."

Yohji hesitated. "Um… you don't suppose it's something to do with the shrine, do you? Only it doesn't do to enrage gods. Especially the gods of the mountains."

"Don't be ridiculous, Kudoh. Why would a brand new hole in the ground be anything to do with mountain gods?"

"I don't know, I'm not a theologian. It's just a possibility."

"Open the door, Yohji."

"Alright," said Yohji, dubiously. "But if it's not a tunnel I'm going to put everything back as we found it and we're going straight home."

Ran sighed deeply.

Yohji lifted the trapdoor.

Blackness stretched down seemingly forever, the musty smell of damp earth floating up out of the void. Cautiously, Yohji felt around the edges of the door; there was knotted rope tethered at one side to large hooks. 

"There's a rope ladder," said Yohji. "Looks brand new."

A stream of light appeared; Ran had produced a torch. "Let's go."

Yohji swung his long legs over the edge of the narrow opening, squirming around until his feet found purchase on the ladder. 

"Good thing we're skinny bastards," Yohji, as he squeezed himself through and step by step, he began to climb down.

Ran, torch clenched between his teeth, followed him carefully, closing the trap door behind them.

*

The ladder dropped them into one end of a narrow tunnel that wound its way into the mountain. They crept along, their way illuminated just barely by Ran's torch. He held it low, just enough light that they could move sure-footedly. A short way in the floor changed from earth to rock; the walls turned smooth and clammy.

"What's that smell?" said Yohji. "Kind of like when Ken forgot to clean the fridge."

"I'm not sure. It could be poison gas."

"Oh great. You know, you take me on some really crap dates."

"I took you to that restaurant in Tokyo," said Ran, offended.

"Only because I booked it in advance. And we didn't even stay for desert."

"That was Kritikers's fault."

"Oh, yeah, blame a mission."

"Well, that's what happened!"

"It's what always happens."

"You're free to go home any time you-"

"Shhh!"

Ran froze, suddenly alert and serious, Abyssinian.

"Voices," Yohji whispered.

There was nothing but the stillness of the rock for a moment, punctuated by a distant dripdripdrip of water, and then, a human voice. Male. It was close.

Ran indicated around the bend in the passageway ahead; Yohji nodded.

There was another sound, a soft moaning noise.

"Sounds like torture," Ran whispered, so softly Yohji barely heard. 

"Something like that," he whispered back. 

The passage turned rough beyond the bend, scoured out from piles of rubble that had once blocked it off completely. Yohji shuddered at the vision of some poor woman trapped down here forever, a victim of nothing more than superstition and fear. 

The voices were getting louder, and there was something else: a hollow, painful wailing.

"Ran…"

"Hmm?"

"You don't think it's a ghost, do you?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Kudoh."

"Ah. Rightiho. Only I was thinking…"

"Better if you don't. Just keep your wits about you."

"Ran, if they're people, how did they get here?"

"Same way we did."

"You'd think. Only, if they came down here of their own free will, how did they put that step back on top of the trap door? Hmm?"

Ran froze for a moment.

"Shut up, Kudoh."

Around the next bend light appeared in the distance, spilling further into the tunnel with every step, and they could see that at its end the passage opened out into a cavern. Yohji resisted the urge to run towards the promise of light and space, and made each step as stealthy and silent as a cat's. Ran was steady at his side, calm and still, Abyssinian through and through. They reached the mouth of the cavern and paused in the shadows, looking inside.

To Yohji's surprise it was a room. It was full of candles. There was an old rocking chair, a table and a rickety-looking bed. On the rickety-looking bed were two people, writhing together.

"Oh," said Ran.

"Not torture, then."

"That girl, isn't she….?"

A flashback: Masafumi dying, a betrayal and….

A shudder ran down Yohji's spine. "It's Tot," he said, flatly.

"And Nagi." Ran's eyes glittered in the candlelight. "That explains why they didn't need to use the door."

"Kid's grown up a bit since we saw him last."

Ran's hand twitched at the space where his katana should be. 

"Another day," Yohji said, softly. "Besides, they're only making out."

Too late, Yohji heard voices from behind them; a familiar, obnoxious American drawl coupled with rumblings laced with German. Footsteps, out of nowhere.

"Shit," said Yohji.

And then the roof fell in.

*

Yohji came round to find himself shackled to a wall. Ran was by his side, which may not have necessarily been a bad thing, except that Ran was chained to the wall as well, and they most definitely weren't alone. Or even among friends.

Yohji pulled himself painfully to his feet, wincing at the pain in his head. The manacles around his ankles allowed him to take a step or two at most. His hands were securely cuffed behind his back.

At least he wasn't naked.

"Hi," said Ran. 

"Hi. We fucked up again, I see."

Ran made a grunting noise in agreement.

They were chained in an alcove at the back of the cavern, opposite the entrance they'd been caught in. The rockfall that had knocked them out had been cleared again. Courtesy, no doubt, of Nagi, who was sitting on a boulder looking flushed and not a little annoyed. Tot was wandering around humming a little tune to herself while Farfarello watched her from his perch on the table. Every now and then he'd lick the long, thin knife he held tenderly in his right hand.

Crawford and Schuldig, meanwhile, were having some kind of argument. Crawford sat in the rocking chair, poring over some old book, while Schuldig taunted him about his lack of precog abilities when it came to certain people and events - specifically, Tot and Nagi.

It would have made an amusing scene, had Yohji not got a pretty deep conviction that he and Ran would soon become the centre of attention again, and not by way of a friendly reunion party.

"What're they doing here?" he whispered to Ran.

"They're planning some kind of ritual. Or at least, Crawford is."

"Sheesh. What is it with them? Always with the rituals. You'd think they'd have worked out by now that things like that never end well."

Ran gave him a dry grin. "You okay?"

"Ah, I've had worse. You?"

"I'll live. You were out quite a while, you know."

"What can I say? I need my beauty sleep."

Schuldig snorted, and Yohji suddenly remembered that however softly they whispered, with a telepath around there wasn't much they could hide. Judging by the poisonous look on Schuldig's face he didn't much like what he was picking up, either.

Yohji gratuitously filled his head with memories of fucking Ran every which way: in bed, in the hot springs, up against a tree… Schuldig scowled at him. He stalked towards them, revolver held loosely in his hand, pure malice in every movement, every look.

Too late, it occurred to Yohji that enraging their captors might not be a good idea. 

"Sorry to disappoint, Balinese, but I'm not going to kill you. Sadly our boss is of the opinion you may prove useful, and he's seriously pissed off with the kid. I don't like him much when he's angry." An evil grin crept onto Schuldig's face as he read Yohji's thoughts. "You like to avoid conflict too, eh? Might have guessed that Red would have his little tantrums… wait, what was that? Bitch-strops? What a very _elegant_ turn of phrase, Balinese."

"Back off, Schuldig," said Ran. "You can't shock me with anything inside his head. Believe me, I've seen it all before."

"Even the pathetic little three-way bondage fantasies?"

"With the nurse? Oh yeah."

Yohji squeaked a feeble objection, and was thoroughly ignored.

"Such a sleaze ball," said Schuldig.

"Yeah, but he's _my_ sleaze-ball," Ran said. "And if you hurt him, I'll kill you."

"Hey!" said Yohji. "Standing right here!"

"I could have him," Schuldig said. "If I was interested."

Yohji and Ran spoke together: "Of course you're interested."

Schuldig smiled. "Nah. Too high-maintenance. Besides, I prefer girls. We're not all faggots."

Yohji didn't believe him on either count, and Schuldig _knew_ he didn't believe him. Yep, there was the flicker of annoyance on Schuldig's face that proved Yohji right.

Playing with telepaths could be fun, if one wasn't so completely tied up at their mercy, and they weren't holding a gun.

"Schuldig!" barked Crawford from across the room. "Get back here and finish these calculations!"

"Yeah," said Farfarello with a long, loving lick of his ghastly knife. "Stop tormenting the pets."

Schuldig glared at him.

Farfarello slid off the table and made his way towards them. "That's my job."

Mental torture in the form of Schuldig was one thing; physical torture in the shape of a crazed Irishman with an apparently inexhaustible supply of sharp objects was another thing entirely. Yohji held his breath; Farfarello swished his knife and cut Yohji's shirt off his body without so much as tickling the skin beneath.

"Unlike Schuldig, I really _do_ like girls," Farfarello said, "which is a pity for you, really. One less reason for me to care how much blood you're losing."

"Hey!" Schuldig yelled. "Keep your poisonous little assertions to yourself, shit-for-brains!"

Crawford let out an irritated hiss, but Schuldig clearly wasn't his only problem.

"There's no point to this," Nagi told him, huffily. "It's a load of superstitious nonsense."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," said Crawford.

Nagi rolled his eyes like a sulky teenager. Crawford and Schuldig got back to work, but Nagi idled, watching Tot, who was playing with a stuffed rabbit and singing a little song to herself in a high-pitched, squeaky voice. 

Diversion over, Farfarello focussed his attention on Ran. The point of his knife rested at Ran's throat, just below his jaw.

"Mmmm," said Farfarello, licking his lips. "Feels so tight, that fine, lily skin. Gonna feel so good, slicing into it, blood bursting on the-"

"That's enough!" Crawford jumped to his feet, snapping the book shut. "By my calculations we have five minutes. Stop behaving like a bunch of idiots and _come here_."

Farfarello teased his knife down Ran's throat, leaving the thinnest, crispest line of scarlet behind. "I'll be seeing you later," he promised, and scampered across the room, licking Ran's blood from his knife as he went.

Yohji strained against his bonds, wanting nothing more than to gut the bastard. 

Then he noticed a flicker of a shadow, from the tunnel they'd entered by. A hint of torchlight. 

Crawford and the rest of Schwartz were gathered around a crack in the floor at the back of the cavern. Tot was in her own little world, oblivious.

Yohji exchanged a glance with Ran. He'd seen it, too.

The cave trembled. 

Crawford arranged candles and pungent incense in a circle around Farfarello, Schuldig and Nagi who stood in the centre, back-to-back. 

Yohji held his breath. Nagi was looking straight at the tunnel. Yohji could only hope he wouldn't see….

"Oh, for fuck's sake, he doesn't have to _see_, you moron!" Schuldig broke formation, all at once up in Yohji's face. "When will you people learn that you can't keep secrets from me?"

"Schuldig!" Crawford barked. "Get back here! There's no time!"

"According to your calculations we've got at least three minutes. That's plenty of time for me to shut him the fuck up!"

"Schuldig!"

"Oh, look," said Tot, pointing at the tunnel. "It's that girl from the hospital. And she's got a sword!"

"Aya," Ran moaned. 

"At least she's not alone," said Yohji.

Aya-chan stepped into the cave, katana - Ran's katana - held high. Ken and Omi pushed their way quickly in front of her. Yohji could feel Ran's blood boiling. 

Yohji wasn't sure he could protect Omi from Ran's wrath after this. Truth be told, he wasn't even sure he _wanted_ to. What the fuck was the kid thinking, bringing her on a rescue mission, and with Ran's sword? 

"Let them go," said Ken to Crawford, "and nobody gets hurt."

"Oh Ken, Ken, Ken," Yohji murmured.

"We haven't got _time_ for this!" barked Crawford. "Farfarello! Take care of them!"

The ground shook again, worse this time. Yohji was starting to think the chains were rather handy after all; another one like that and it would be good to have something to hold on to.

"It's starting," said Crawford.

"Well, well," said Schuldig. "Looks like you were right after all."

Meanwhile, Farfarello was advancing on Ran. 

"Skin like marble," he hissed. "Just ready for carving."

"You're a sick bastard," said Yohji, but his voice was lost in the growl of another earth tremor. This one knocked Ken off his feet, and cracked the ground a couple of feet from where Yohji and Ran were chained. 

"What _is_ that smell?" Yohji said.

"Fear of Assassin," Farfarello said, and sliced into the skin at Ran's throat.

Too many things happened at once. Yohji roared, trying desperately to fling himself at Farfarello. A crimson stream dripped down Ran's smooth, perfect chest, too bright, too fast. The cave shook again, the crack growing.

Aya-chan charged.

Her footsteps masked by the quake, Ran's sword held high but tilting at an awkward angle, she ran straight at Farfarello. The sound of shifting rock was deafening but Yohji could still hear her screaming. 

In slow motion she made the final lunge. Aya's blade thrust forwards, forced its messy way through muscle, bones and organs until it protruded scarlet and gore-streaked through the other side. 

Farfarello looked down at the sword where it protruded from his chest, a frown on his face.

"Oh," he said, his voice little more than a sick rasp as the cold metal stole his breath. "Well, fuck."

He toppled at Yohji's feet. Stone dead.

The earth shook and the world went black.

*

Yohji woke again as the dust was settling. Aya-chan knelt in the dirt, reaching out tentatively towards the body at her side, tears streaming down her face. 

A furry something peeked out of her backpack, and mewed. Ronin jumped down, trotted over to Farfarello and hissed. 

"I didn't mean to kill him," Aya-chan said. "Not dead, I mean, not really kill him dead. I was so angry."

"Aya-chan," whispered Ran, still chained at Yohji's side. There was no telling what he was feeling: his face was closed and his body very still. 

Omi made short work of picking the locks that had Ran and Yohji fixed to the wall. It was a mission, he explained. Manx had called not long after they'd got back to the cabin. Schwartz had been followed to the caves by a Kritiker agent, and Weiß had been sent to stop them.

Yohji blinked into the dust, not taking in much of what Omi was telling him. There was a rock at his feet: that must be what had knocked him out. Yohji looked up: the ceiling looked none too stable.

Yohji found his watch in a pile of stuff Schuldig had shoved in the corner. Idiot, he should have hid it better. Telepathy made you lazy.

"Or perhaps it's all about the thrill of the chase," Schuldig said, suddenly at Yohji's side. "No fun if it's too easy for me."

Aya-chan flinched from Schuldig, falling gratefully into Omi's arms. The floor rumbled.

"Don't you have some inane chanting to be doing?" said Yohji.

"Crawford's got it covered," said Schuldig with a shrug, and Yohji peered through the dust and rubble to see Crawford and Nagi still gathered around what was now a huge hole in the ground. 

Schuldig gave Farfarello's inert form a kick. "Come on, Farf. Stop pissing around. Don't want to miss out on the-"

Schuldig's eyes glazed over, his eyelids flickered and then he went rigid and still: he stared at Farfarello in disbelief. "Farf?"

Everything went quiet. Even the ground stopped shaking.

Ran pulled his katana from Farfarello's body with a sickening squelch. Aya-chan was grey-pale, trembling in Omi's arms. Schuldig was concentrating. Hard.

"He was a psychopathic bastard," Yohji told Aya-chan. "It's no loss to the world, believe me. He'd have killed you in an instant."

"He was _alive_," said Aya-chan. "I k-k-k-"

"You killed him!" yelled Schuldig. "Fuck! Hey, Crawford!"

Crawford stormed over to them, his usually guarded features twisted with anger. "What?"

"She killed Farfarello!"

"What?"

Yohji smirked. "Didn't see that one coming, Crawford?"

"Wait,' said Schuldig. "The experiment, what happened?"

"It wasn't an experiment, you moron," said Crawford, through gritted teeth. "It was a premonition."

"Don't call me a moron." Schuldig's voice was deadly calm.

"Ooh, dissension in the ranks," said Yohji. "This is a side of Schwartz we haven't sen before."

The blow hit before he saw it coming. It was as if Crawford just twitched, and suddenly Yohji's jaw was crawling with pain and his ears were ringing.

"He shouldn't be dead," Crawford said. "No-one should be dead, we should be over there, all four of us, sucking up more power than the universe can stand. But _she_-"

"I'm sorry," Aya-chan whimpered. Ran stepped in front of her, sword pointed straight at Crawford, still dripping Farfarello's blood. Yohji heard the click of Ken's bugnucks from the shadows behind him. He readied his wire.

He caught Schuldig on the second pass; the first saw a bullet graze Yohji's shoulder. Yohji leapt backwards, taking the fight as far from Aya-chan as he could. Aya and Ken pushed Crawford back, two on one until Nagi joined the fray. Only then did Omi leave Aya-chan's side to take on his opponent.

It was a sluggish fight: Crawford was slow and Schuldig was worrying about him; his attention strayed towards him repeatedly, leaving Yohji plenty of room to land a hit. 

Yohji just kept coming.

*

Meanwhile Aya-chan wept over the body of Farfarello: her first kill, her first corpse, her first true sin.

Ronin nudged at her hand, concerned and demanding all at once, but she felt too numb to respond. 

The girl Aya-chan had heard the others call Tot shuffled closer. She seemed oddly oblivious to the fight going on around them. "Did you kill Uncle Farfie?" she said.

"Yes," said Aya-chan.

There was a pause, and then Tot said firmly, "Tot doesn't like it when people die. My daddy and my sister died. It's _bad_ when people die. You can't make them better. No matter how hard you try. Did you know that?"

Aya-chan stared at Farfarello's gaping wounds.

Very slowly, an idea began to form.

"Wait," she said to no-one in particular. Ronin made a little mewing sound, his tail thrashing. 

Aya-chan knelt at Farfarello's side, and touched his back. She laid her hand flat over the hole Ran's sword had made, doing her best to ignore the sticky blood that quickly covered her skin.

She closed her eyes, and concentrated.

Ronin began to purr. 

"What are you doing?" said Tot. "He's glowing! What are you doing, you bad girl?"

Aya-chan shut out her voice, focussed on the pounding of her own heartbeat, the rush of air in her lungs, the flow of blood around her body. Life.

She felt a faint tremor, almost like an aftershock. But not from the ground. From inside. A flicker of hope. A slight, tenuous thing.

She gathered all her strength and poured it down her arms, through her hands, flowing light, light, light into Farfarello's body. Restoring. _Healing_. 

A heartbeat, faint. Another. Lungs gurgling, but _there_.

The hole in Farfarello's body was closing up, from the inside out. 

The extra heartbeat in Aya's ears faltered. Too soon. Not done yet. _So close._ Fuelled by pure exhilaration, she renewed her efforts, breathing energy and life back into the man she'd killed.

It would be better. All better. As if she'd never done it.

There was a deafening crack and a shower of dust as the floor and ceiling sheared. Rock screamed so loud it hurt her ears, the 'quake shaking the cave like a child rattling a toy box.

Farfarello's eyes shot open and he gulped in air.

The cave was still shaking and Ran and Yohji were yelling, but Aya-chan couldn't move. She stared at the man she'd brought back from the dead.

He coughed and spluttered. "You healed me."

"I killed you," said Aya-chan. "I'm really sorry. I know you're not… well I was was angry and you're not very nice, but that's no excuse."

Suddenly Yohji was right next to her, his wire whistling as his watch sucked it back in. "Aya-chan, come on! The ceiling's going!" 

"Can you walk?" she asked Farfarello.

He got to his feet and swayed a bit; she was about to catch him but Schuldig got there first, wrapped an arm securely around his waist, and the two of them vanished in a blink.

Yohji took her hand in his, firm and strong, and they fled, Ran right behind them.

They got to the entrance where Omi and Ken were waiting, but there she stopped and looked back, straining to see through the dust. "Ronin!"

"He's probably got out already," said Ken, exchanging a glance with Omi. "Cats do that, don't they?"

"Oh yes," said Omi, frowning with worry.

"But he was right beside me! On, Kudoh, how could I-"

The dust stilled and a figure stepped through. Ran's sword glinted at his side; his coat swished; he looked every bit the formidable assassin he was.

Cradled in one strong arm was a small, black and white cat.

"Come on, Aya," said Yohji, but suddenly she was weak, terribly weak, her legs wouldn't work and she let Yohji pick her up and carry her the rest of the way outside. She felt the cool air on her cheeks and Omi's hand, stroking her hair, heard Ran's voice, asking her something…

Something…

She closed her eyes. Just for a moment. 

*

The first voice she heard was Yohji's. Dear Yohji.

"Stop fussing, Ran. She's just sleeping. She'll wake up any minute." He sounded worried.

"But she's been asleep for hours." Ran sounded desperate.

"Yohji's right," said Ken, uncertainly. "She's fine."

"Her eyes are opening!" said Omi. Omi was close. She was in bed, in the cabin; the sheets were crisp and clean and she could feel Omi's presence on one side, Ran's on the other.

"Aya-chan?" said Ran. "Can you hear me?"

The fear in his voice, always the fear, that she wouldn't wake up. 

She sought out Ran's hand, and squeezed it, her vision clearing to reveal his worried face. "Hi. What happened? When is it?"

"Just gone midnight," said Yohji, hovering behind Ran. "You were unconscious for a couple of hours, that's all."

She let relief wash over her, and tried to sit up. But her limbs were weak as water and she failed completely.

"Careful," said Omi, gently patting her shoulder. "It will probably take a few days for you to get your strength back. You did an amazing thing back there."

"Farfarello?"

"You completely healed him," said Ken. "He was looking fine last we saw. Kind of different, actually. Not quite so mad."

"I had to do it," Aya-chan said, her eyes filling with tears. "I know he's a target and evil and you all want him dead, I know he hurt Ran but I couldn't, I just _couldn't_…"

Ran squeezed her hand. "It's all right, Aya. I never want you to kill anyone. Never. I don't want you to be like me. You did the right thing."

She thought suddenly of Ran as a boy, the boy she knew before she fell into her coma. That boy must have made a first kill, must have felt all the guilt and misery she'd felt when she'd killed Farfarello. She wondered if he still did. If it got easier. "Teach me the gentle arts," she said, softly. "To defend myself."

Ran nodded.

"That's some gift you've got there, Princess," said Yohji. "Healing's a lot more impressive than cutting people up with a sword." Yohji winked at Ran. "No offence."

Ran glared at him.

"We think your powers were increased by the seismic activity in the cave," Omi explained.

"How?" Aya-chan asked.

"We don't really know. We found some of Crawford's notes though. He was working on the theory that there was something in the caves that enhanced the powers of precognition. I suppose he thought if it worked for the old oracle of the cave, it might work for him too."

"What kind of thing?" asked Ken. "Minerals or something?"

"Most likely something in the air," Omi said.

"I _said_ I smelt something," Yohji said. "Like a bad eggroll."

"Hydrogen sulphide," said Omi, thoughtfully. "It is said that ancient peoples experienced sudden moments of insight after inhaling sulphurous gases in a certain composition."

"Whatever Crawford was hoping for, it didn't happen," said Ran, with a note of satisfaction. "He wasn't at all happy."

"And they were reminded, once again, never to underestimate a Fujimaya," Yohji added. "Isn't that right, Princess?"

Aya-chan yawned. It was a lot to take in and she was suddenly exhausted again. 

"You should rest," said Omi. "Come on, everyone. Let's leave Aya-chan to get some sleep."

Aya-chan might have like Omi to stay for a while, but Ran had that look on his face, and she didn't have the energy to argue. So she gave him a little wave, and closed her eyes, and slept.

*

Yohji watched Ran move around the bedroom, picking things up, putting them down, undoing a couple of buttons, messing with his hair.

"C'mere." Yohji patted the bed next to him. 

"I'm getting ready for bed," Ran said. 

"Sure, but if I wait 'til you're done, the sun'll be up. Come here."

Ran knelt on the bed and crawled to Yohji's side, probably humouring him. Yohji looped an arm around Ran's neck and tugged him in for a kiss. 

Ran went quietly for once, letting Yohji cuddle and kiss him. Yohji slipped Ran's shirt off and kissed his shoulders, hands roaming happily over Ran's smooth, pale skin.

"I thought I'd lose her," Ran said.

Yohji leaned back, taking a moment to read Ran's troubled face. He sighed.

"You didn't," Yohji said, and reached for the bottle of scotch he'd left at the side of the bed. 

"But I could have done. I don't know how to deal with any of this."

"I do," said Yohji, and offered Ran the scotch.

"By getting drunk?" Ran took a gulp of whisky and passed the bottle back to Yohji. 

"Why not? It helped me deal for years." He tried for a smile, but Ran just stared at the window, out into the night, frowning. "Ran, this is how life works. You're doing your best for Aya-chan, but you can only do what you can do. Sometimes people are okay. Sometimes they aren't. Sometimes you can do something to make them okay. Sometimes you can't. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it doesn't hurt so much. You survive as best you can."

"That's a bit fatalistic for you, Yohji."

Yohji shrugged. "It's all I've got. Shit happens." 

The faintest of grins tugged at the corner of Ran's mouth. "Give me the bottle, then," Ran said.

Yohji happily relinquished the whisky again and leaned back on the pile of pillows he'd assembled. "There's other ways, if you don't fancy a hangover."

Ran raised an eyebrow at him.

"I can make you forget your troubles," Yohji gave Ran his best come-on wink.

"That better be a promise, Kudoh."

"Would I ever tell a lie?"

Then Ran was on top of him, pinning his wrists down to the bed, kissing him savagely. There was a scramble to strip off clothes and press naked skin to naked skin, frantic fingers kneading muscle. Yohji let Ran take the lead, surrendering his body to his lover's lips and tongue and hands. 

When Ran sank into his body Yohji looked up at the perfect arch of Ran's neck, his face tilted upwards, lips parted, eyes slitted in total bliss. 

Somewhere in the frenzy Ran's fingers found Yohji's and twisted around them, squeezing hard with every thrust, every meeting of hips. 

When Yohji came, Ran slowed down, licked the sweat from Yohji's neck and kissed him there. Whispered in Yohji's ear, soft as honey, _"I love you."_

Yohji squeezed Ran's hand as tight as he could, and held on.

*

Ronin yawned and stretched, and got up from his spot in front of the fire. It was late at night, the cabin quiet, and the last log had burned out. He padded out of the living room and up the stairs, seeking out a warmer place to sleep. All the doors were shut but one: a slant of light came from Aya-chan's room. He hopped onto her bed, greeted immediately by her gentle hand: a tickle behind one ear; a rub along the whiskers; a nice firm rub along his spine.

"You've grown so much, Ronin," she said. "You're a proper little cat now."

Ronin gave her hand a little nudge with his head, and turned around. Then he turned around again, then curled up in the dip he'd made in the soft quilt and rested his head on Aya-Chan's knee. 

Aya-chan buried her fingers in his fur, and Ronin purred.

 

_~Owari~_


End file.
